Galatea at College
by displacedtexan
Summary: It's off to college for Kotoko and Naoki! Can their relationship survive the temptations of a wider world than they've been used to? Sequel to The Pygmalion Project. FOLLOWUP STORY: Paean of Apollo.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Nope. Still don't own Itakiss.**

 **A/N2: I hope readers will enjoy my sequel to Pygmalion Project. The first story was a lot easier because I had Tada-sensei's wonderfully tight plot to spin the characters around. In this adventure, both new and familiar faces will help propel the story forward.**

* * *

"Goodbye, Kotoko-chan!" Mrs. Irie smothered her in a hug. "Take care of her, Onii-chan!" She patted her son's cheek before pressing a wrapped box into his hand and running for the waiting taxi.

"Whew!" Kotoko flopped down on the puffy couch in the small living area. "I thought she was _never_ going to leave!"

"Yeah," Naoki agreed. "And she probably wouldn't have, except that Yuuki has to start school too. It would be against the 'Mother Code' to ignore half her offspring."

Kotoko snorted. "I wonder how Yuuki-kun is going to enjoy being an only child."

"As long as she doesn't miss having a daughter too much and make him wear skirts, he'll probably enjoy it just fine."

"I'd like to see her try it with him. Does he even know…?"

Naoki shuddered. "I don't think so. I really hope he never finds out."

"So," Kotoko leaned forward, "what did she give you?" She pointed at the box in his hand.

"Nosy, aren't you?" he teased before tossing it over. "Here, you can open it."

"Great! I enjoy presents!"

Naoki, preparing the coffee maker for a fresh pot, noticed that she became uncharacteristically quiet. "Kotoko?"

She silently held up a large economy-size box of condoms. "Not very subtle, is she?"

He walked over quickly and opened the box. "Let's have a look at those!"

"Naoki!" she squawked, almost climbing over the back of the couch away from him. "Right _now_?!"

"Calm down," he ordered. He held the strip up to the light before clicking his tongue. "Pinholes, every one." He tossed the box in the trash. "She's serious about the grandbaby to have taken the time to destroy over 200 of them."

Kotoko let out a deep breath as she plopped back down on the seat. "Again, Naoki, your mother is cray-cray."

"I agree. And it's her bad luck that I can buy my own."

* * *

"We will provide you with housing, a reduced tuition rate, plus the use of our athletic facilities during your recuperative period, Shitara-san. As long as you assist us with a few public relations and recruitment appearances, I believe everyone can be satisfied."

Shitara Hiroto replied with a small grin, "I expect that the ACL surgery will have me back to speed within the year." He patted his still-braced leg. "I won't promise to stay longer than that."

"Yes, I know that the professional contract is most tempting."

"So make sure that you don't sign me up for any advanced courses." He winked at the female counselor. "I'm not really the academic type, if you get my drift."

As he maneuvered himself out of the building with a cane, he thought, "Plus, lots of friendly female soccer fans will certainly make it bearable, even amusing."

* * *

"Sugureta Sekai University." Matsumoto Yuuko looked around the campus on the hill above Osaka Bay. Lovely enough, but not where she thought she would be attending college. Well, she squared her shoulders, as long as Irie Naoki was here, that was good enough for her!


	2. Chapter 2

Kotoko stared at the two class schedules, laid out side-by-side on the living room table. "Well, we may no longer be in high school, but the Class A and Class F division is alive and kicking."

"What do you mean?" Naoki set a glass of water in front of her before sitting behind her on the couch.

"Look at this! We have no classes in common!"

He reached over her shoulder to pick up the papers, resting his chin on top of her head. "We have some similarities," he pointed out. "The basic courses: English, Japanese, literature…"

"Yeah, but you're taking the more advanced classes!"

"Well, so are you, in a manner of speaking." He braced himself.

"What do you mean?" Kotoko asked in an ominous tone.

"When we study together, I'll give you the 'extra treatment'."

Instead of the howl of anguish that he expected, she slapped a hand to one cheek and sighed, "Why am I not surprised?"

"It's all for the—"

"Best. I know. You're helping me get ahead of my classmates again."

"You're taking this way better than I thought you would."

"Don't you think I know you by now?" she asked, then poked a finger at the schedules, rattling them. "But let's talk about your electives! Archeology of Cities, Human Computer Interaction, Physics of Star Trek—hey, that sounds interesting! Difficult, but interesting. Class A stuff all the way."

He laughed and kissed the top of her head. "There's no class division here, silly. We're just searching in different ways."

She twisted her neck around. "What do you mean?"

He gestured at the stack of club flyers that covered one of the chairs. "You're choosing to look for your future through the extracurricular activities and experiences. I'm doing it in a methodical way, through a variety of classes." He paused and took a sip of water. "I suppose it _is_ something that that a Class A student would do, but it's what I'm more familiar with. What I wouldn't give to be able to relax and do it all haphazardly like you!"

"Is my way bad?" Kotoko asked him searchingly.

"No, because it suits you," he reassured her before pulling her into his lap. "We don't like each other because we're just the same, do we?" She shook her head. "So, why would our searches be identical? Vive la différence!"

"Makes sense," she admitted. "Even though I think I'll be the one having more fun." She kissed him and winked. "They have a video game club, you know!" She attempted to wriggle out of his hold to find the flyer but his arms tightened.

"No spending all your time on that," he warned. "You're going to have a study schedule."

"I know, I know! The rewards system!" She grinned. "See? I did learn something. But," she sobered, " _you_ need to do more than just hit the books. When I had my interview—though I was a little out of it at the time—I remember the adviser said that there was a tennis club here. You should look into that, being as good as you are."

"No," he disagreed. "I played it all through middle school and high school. I'm about ready for a break. Although," he teased, "I could be tempted if _you_ try out for the team. I notice that Mother packed your scanty tennis dresses!"

"Argh!" Kotoko covered her face with her hands. "Please let lightning strike me down if I ever pick up a racquet again!"

"Don't need lightning. Just one of my serves. Ouch!"

* * *

"Hey, Eiki-kun, I can't believe your grandmother just gave her house to you for a year!"

"Yeah!" Morishima Jin's longtime friend laughed as he tossed a beer can across the room, barely missing the trash can. "She kept getting these weird calls from a lady who wanted her to spy on the new neighbors. Even came here and offered to rent a room from her on a sporadic basis."

"Yakuza hit-man, you think?"

"Nah. She said she looked like a typical housewife, even though she tried to disguise herself with a hair scarf and sunglasses. Tokyo accent, Gran said."

"Bored society lady, huh? Hey, do you suppose she was some cougar wanting to get her kicks with college students?" The other drinker in the room, Ichinose Makio, seemed titillated by the thought.

Sugisaki Eiki scratched his head. "I asked Gran that, you know, since she might show up here after all." He raised and lowered his eyebrows suggestively. "But she said she didn't give out that vibe. The situation just gave her enough of the willies for her to make an extended visit to her sister in Okinawa and let me rent it out to my friends."

"Well, it's all to our benefit!" Morishima held up his can in a toast. "All of us—plus Tadao-kun—get to stay at a quality house for reduced rate! No more of those crappy apartments that our girlfriends don't want to visit!" They exchanged exuberant high fives.

"Hey, where is he tonight, anyway?"

"Helping Sana move into her apartment." Sugisaki popped open another can. "But just remember, we've got to keep the place in good condition! No holes in the walls or weird stains! Best thing about it," he leaned back and contemplated the ceiling, "with college students as our neighbors, we should be able to party as loud as we want come the weekends!"

* * *

"Irie! Irie Naoki!"

Halfway down the hall after his advanced English class, Naoki turned. A tall student with curly hair flowing halfway down her back was waving and half running to him. After a quick flip through his memory he snapped his fingers and pointed. "Matsumoto Yuuko! The last time I saw you was at the tennis nationals."

She flashed a brilliant and perfectly rehearsed smile at him. "I'm so pleased that you remember me!"

"Oh, it's not that unusual," he began.

"Imagine my surprise to find you here. I would have thought you were headed to Todai for sure!"

Naoki laughed shortly. "I got sidetracked on the way there. But I'm not disappointed. The school here is more than adequate and best of all, away from home."

"Ah!" She slanted her eyes sideways. "It _is_ exhilarating to savor the first taste of freedom. Let me know if you would like some company as you explore it more fully."

Wow! This was certainly not the coolly aloof Matsumoto that he remembered from the high school tennis circuit. "Thanks for the offer," he replied blandly. "I'll see you later."

"You certainly shall," she murmured as she watched him descend the stairs.

* * *

"Damn!" Kotoko slammed the back door shut.

"Anything wrong, Kotoko?" Naoki asked from the downstairs room that had been designated the study.

"Nothing serious, just aggravating." Kotoko stomped in. "You know how we agreed to divvy up the chores?"

"Yeah?" He wondered what could be aggravating about that.

"I'm going to have to ask you to trade around already."

"No need to get upset; I don't mind renegotiating. Which one is it?"

"Taking out the garbage. Especially since you do the majority of the cooking, I ought to be able to take care of the cleanup, but no!"

He leaned back. Obviously the explanation was going to take awhile.

"Why does this block of houses have to share a bin? And why does it have to be so tall? You'd have to be a giant to heave it in there! And what if I was all by myself living here? What would I do then?"

He grabbed hold in the middle of her pacing and gesticulating and pulled her onto his lap. "So let's see if I understand this. The refuse bin opening is so high that you can't heave the bag into it?"

"Right. It broke open and I had to toss everything in there individually."

"I can see that would be frustrating. Well, that's what? Thirty meters walk? Twice a week? I believe I can handle it."

She wriggled to make herself more comfortable. "But I'm the weak link, and I'm never the weak link. And so soon into college that it makes me wonder…"

"You can't help your height. Ow! Well, I'm sure there will be something you can do to make up for it."

"What?"

"I'll let you know. Now hit the books or I'll give you something to worry about!"

* * *

"Sweet!"

"What are you doing, Makio-kun, dumpster diving?"

"No, just tossing our trash in. And you'll never guess what I found, just propped up on that hinge in there." He waved his find. "It's going to be our lucky year!"

* * *

 **A/N: You can probably guess what was found in the trash bin. I want to go on record that I do NOT advocate acquiring such, uh, _personal_ items in that manner. However, experience with hormonal males of that age has reinforced my belief that, yes, they CAN be that dumb.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Irie-kun—I can call you that, can't I?" Matsumoto leaned toward him as they exited the advanced English classroom.

"Sure," Naoki responded. "What is it, Matsumoto-san?"

She pouted a bit. _Still so formal!_ "Well," she laid a hand on his arm, "I was wondering if you would be available if I have some trouble in that class. I'm not sure that I'm able to follow Professor Honda's lessons entirely."

"Certainly," he assented. "Although I seem to recall that you spoke with an American judge at the national tennis competition."

 _Darn!_ She had forgotten that incident. She batted her eyes and laughed lightly. "That's true, but speaking and writing are two different functions, correct? One can make small errors and still be understood, while I fear that this sensei will be most unforgiving with written exercises."

"Mmm. I suppose so." He hadn't appeared that hard-nosed to Naoki, but then, he knew well that he was not an average student. "Would you like to meet at the library some afternoon when we're both free?"

 _The library? Well, that was a starting point_. "How about this Friday? We could stay as late as we need, with no classes the next day."

"Sorry," he apologized. "We're hosting a video game competition that evening in my house. I really have to be in attendance."

"Video games?" Matsumoto looked at him in astonishment. "I didn't think you were the type!"

"I'm not bad," he laughed, "but I'm nowhere near Kotoko's level!"

"Kotoko? Is that your roommate?"

"Roommate? Well, yes, I suppose you could say that."

"Must be rough on him, having such a feminine name," she commented sympathetically.

"Oh, he's a she," he informed her.

"Wow," she stated, nonplussed. "That's certainly...broad-minded of you. You'd better watch out," she warned, "or she'll fall in love with you!"

"That's what I'm hoping," he said as he opened the door to the outside, "considering that she's my girlfriend."

After picking her jaw off the ground, she responded, "I'm surprised that your parents agreed to such an arrangement."

He snorted. "As if anyone could contradict my mother! She has been pushing this match for almost a year! Anyway," he turned to go to his next class, "pick a time next week and I'll see if I can help you!"

 _Girlfriend!_ Matsumoto bit her lip in frustration. When did _that_ happen? She could have sworn that he was foot-loose and fancy-free last year. _But,_ she reminded herself, _any relationship that recent can't be too deep_. Besides, she tossed her head, she was always the one that the boys confessed to. Irie Naoki would be the crown jewel of that collection!

* * *

"I don't know what to do, Onii-chan," Yuuki spoke on the telephone, glancing furtively to make sure his parents were not nearby. "Mom's been moping around ever since she left you guys in Kobe. It's gotten so bad that she's stopped cooking entirely. This past week Dad and I have had to make do with take-out or whatever food Aihara-san brings home from the restaurant."

"She's a grown adult," Naoki sighed wearily. "Why does she get her jollies being a busybody over my love life?"

"I don't know. Do you have any idea how I can jolt her out of this mood?"

His brother thought a moment. "She needs a hobby. Maybe you could research what activities are available nearby and offer her some suggestions."

"I could, but _Jeez_!" he groaned. " _I'm_ not the parent!"

"I know, Yuuki, I know," he sympathized.

* * *

"Do you think you bought enough junk food, Kotoko?" Naoki asked as he viewed the assortment of salty and sweet snacks almost toppling off the kitchen counter.

"Just because you have a refined palate doesn't mean others want fancy snacks!" she replied. "The rest of them are bringing pizza and drinks."

"Well, no matter how rowdy you guys get, you can't be as disruptive as our neighbors last weekend!"

"That _was_ bad," she agreed. "I think we ought to see about purchasing some earplugs if they do that every week."

* * *

Naoki refused to play that evening, bowing out to Kotoko's superior skill. He spent the majority of the time replenishing snacks and making sure that the drink bottles and cans ended up in the recycling canister. The gaming club proved to be overwhelmingly male and friendly, if not the type of society that either he or Kotoko had moved around with before. Kotoko, he noticed fondly, paid not a whit of attention to their lack of polished appearance. He sighed as she demolished yet another adversary and interrupted her victory crow by placing a hand on her head to catch her attention.

"I'm going into the study for awhile. Don't worry about the noise; I can block it out."

"You're sure?" She looked up at him, wide-eyed with caffeine and adrenaline, he was certain.

"But," he placed a firm finger on her nose, "this party is breaking up at 1 am, absolutely."

"Okay!" She grinned cheekily as she turned back to her new friends. "Let's go worldwide and find us some fresh meat!"

The other members cheered, "Aye, Leader!"

* * *

Two hours later when Naoki staggered groggily out of the study—the noise from the video games added to the weekly party next door hadn't kept him from nodding off—he noticed that the dynamics of the room had changed. Kotoko still held the place of honor in the center of the couch, sitting cross-legged and staring intently at the screen as she moved the controller about, her hands punching buttons and maneuvering as if mesmerized. The ones that he assumed were her teammates were doing likewise, interspersing their avatars' movements with curses as they failed to reach Kotoko's level of perfection.

Those he shrugged off as unimportant. It was the couple seated behind and to their right that concerned him. One was drawing on a tablet with a stylus, eyes flitting between the screen and Kotoko, while he swore that the other had guiltily dropped his hand down after taking a cell phone picture. He sighed. _Well, I_ _ **did**_ _come to this college to watch over her. Why did I think things would be otherwise?_

* * *

"Bye!" Kotoko waved off the last of their guests then turned to Naoki. "That was fun!"

"Really?" He gave a wry smile. "Um, Kotoko, how well do you know those guys? Some of them were a little...off."

"You think so? Why?"

"At the risk of sounding like a jealous boyfriend, the two in the corner didn't play this evening. Every time I looked over, they were watching you, and I swear one of them was taking pictures on the sly."

"Ha! That would be Sugawara and Araki. The other members call them Spielberg and Lucas because they're interested in making movies. They probably just came for the food."

"Hmph! From my point of view, they're scoping you out to be the star of their next feature."

Kotoko laughed heartily. "That'll be the day! I'm not exactly heroine material."

"That's what I saw," Naoki insisted stubbornly.

"Silly!" She tugged him inside and held onto his arm as he locked the door. The neighbors were still going strong. Someone must have loved American metal bands, because that was the music blaring into the street. "If you had played tonight, you wouldn't have been distracted and started imagining things. You've improved enough that you wouldn't have been _that_ badly defeated."

"Forgive my masculine pride," he kissed her quickly, "but the only one I can accept losing to is you."

"Aw, how sweet!" She grinned widely, then gasped. "Oh! When we were playing online, I came across a handle that sounded a lot like one of my old pals!"

He paused. "From grade school, you mean?" When she nodded he asked, "Which one?"

"The soccer player. I wonder what he's up to? I read that he had signed with Vissel Kobe but he hasn't shown up on the roster."

"Time enough to research that tomorrow. Let's go to bed." A new song began blaring. "Not that sleep will be easy to come by."


	4. Chapter 4

"Boss, do you think you could advance me some salary?"

"What's up, Kinnosuke? Are you a little short this month?" Mr. Aihara paused in setting out the serving bowls.

"Nah, I want to go see Kotoko during the summer break and don't have enough for a shinkansen ticket."

"Huh?! You want extra money _plus_ time off? That's not how business works! No wonder you were in Class F!"

"Aw, Boss!" he whined. "But I really miss Kotoko!"

"So do I, but she's busy with school. If you want to see her so much, find an extra job. Don't expect _me_ to subsidize your vacations!"

* * *

"Is your class work finished?" Naoki asked after entering the house.

"You sound like a parent," Kotoko complained as she put aside the game controller. "And I wasn't really playing. I was looking for that player from last week."

"The one that you thought was your old friend?" He leaned over and kissed her before heating a bowl of leftover rice and meat in the kitchen. "Well, since he suffered a knee injury and underwent surgery, it probably _is_ him, spending his recuperation time fighting virtual enemies."

"Yeah." She grinned at him. "That's what _I'd_ do in his case."

"Don't I know it." He sighed then took a closer look at her. "If you've been home so long, why are you still dressed for class?"

Kotoko took a quick inventory of her position—cross-legged, again—and attire. "At least Obasama finally gave up and agreed that slacks were best for college!" Kotoko scowled at him. "I'll never forget the afternoon that she and Satomi took me shopping. And I thought final exams lasted forever!"

"Online shopping is definitely more your speed," he joked as he plopped down on the couch next to her. "Although I do miss looking at your legs in our old school uniform."

"Naoki!" She blushed but leaned in close to him. "You're home late today."

"Yeah." He wearily shoved hair from his forehead. "I was tutoring a fellow student and had a hard time getting away."

"Poor guy!" She oozed sympathy with a twinkle in her eye. "You're still in demand, aren't you?"

"Do you remember how I once said I'd rather not teach, especially Class F students?"

"Yep."

"It's even more difficult teaching someone who probably would have been in Class A and that I'm not even sure needs my help."

She cocked her head. "That's weird. Can't you just pretend that he's Obasama and say, 'No and hell, no!'"

He covered his mouth to keep from spewing rice at her. "Not everyone can be as blunt as you and get away with it. I may be taking over Dad's business, after all. I can't afford to offend whoever I want to. Besides, it's 'she' not 'he'."

"Oh really? The plot thickens."

"Yeah." Naoki stared at the half empty bowl. "This sounds egotistical, but I think she's coming on to me, and none of my off-putting ways from high school have worked."

"What ways?"

"Ignoring her ploys. Using a raised eyebrow as if to inquire what she's doing. I even told her that I already had a girlfriend."

Kotoko reached over and stole a bite of meat. "Sounds like you need a bodyguard."

"Say! That's what you can do instead of garbage detail!"

"What?"

"Protect me from Matsumoto-san!"

"You want me to beat her up?" She pounded a fist into her palm, grinning a bit at the thought.

"No. You're my girlfriend, right? Make sure she knows that."

"Aw!" She poked out her bottom lip, then sneaked another bite of his food. "You mean, look out for you in a _peaceful_ manner?"

"Are you up to it?"

She grinned. "If I can have that last piece of meat."

"Glutton."

* * *

"Mama?" Mr. Irie's eyes were wide and his mouth began to water. "A home-cooked meal tonight?"

"Yes, darling!" She stopped stirring and approached to kiss him. "Thank you for being so patient with my little...megrims. I was just down in the dumps for a while."

"As long as you're better now, pumpkin," he said as he embraced her.

"Yuck!" Yuuki stepped into the kitchen. "Leave that for later. Hey! Real food!"

"Oh, Yuuki-kun!" It was her son's turn to be hugged. "My sweet, understanding, intelligent and oh-so-helpful little boy!"

"What?!" He squirmed free.

"I have the most wonderful news!" Mrs. Irie clasped her hands together in glee. "I've joined a photography club!"

"Why, that's wonderful, Mama," her husband exclaimed. "That's just up your alley, since you enjoy taking pictures and videos so much."

"Yes, and it was our dear Yuuki-kun who pointed me in the right direction! It will be such fun!" She returned to the stove and continued to prepare the meal. "With meetings and discussions and field trips—"

"Field trips?" Husband and son spoke in stereo.

"Yes," she proceeded blithely along. "We'll visit museums and public gardens and historic sites."

"It, uh, sounds like a lot of time will be taken up by this," Mr. Irie began.

"But you know how much I love being behind a camera!" She beamed at him. "Some of the trips might be a little lengthy, but none of them should be overnight."

"As long as you come safely home to me each evening, I'll try not to worry," her husband assured her.

"Hmph!" Yuuki muttered. "I wonder how many of those 'field trips' will be to Kobe?"

* * *

"The past tenses for stink are the same as for drink, not for think. I didn't believe that would have been difficult for you, Matsumoto-san."

"I must have forgotten some of the rules."

Naoki shot her a doubtful look. "Sure." He glanced surreptitiously at his watch and wondered where Kotoko was. He had moved the meetings to their house several weeks earlier so that he could multitask by teaching Kotoko the advanced lessons while she acted as a buffer between him and Matsumoto. So far it had worked out, but today Kotoko was leaving him in the lurch and he scented danger...

Matsumoto looked around the living area and fanned herself with her hand. "Is it warm in here, or is it just me?" she asked.

"We try to keep the thermostat at the same setting most of the time. I feel comfortable myself."

"Oh? In that case, you don't mind if I take off a layer or two?"

His eyes widened as she began to unbutton. "Um, Matsumoto-san?"

She shrugged her blouse off to reveal a lacy blue camisole top. "There! Much better! Now, where were we?"

"Damn, it's hot outside!" Kotoko burst through the front door. "I'm home!"

"Welcome home!" Naoki called, his voice almost breaking in relief.

"Oh, hello, Matsumoto-san. Are you having an English lesson? I thought you texted me that you weren't coming this afternoon."

 _Is that what happened?_ Naoki thought.

Kotoko continued, "Something difficult must have come up today in that advanced course you're taking. I'm breezing through my basic one, thanks to Naoki's 'additions'." She went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door.

"Yes, well, those of us who have the higher capability must endure the more stringent classes," Matsumoto gritted out in stifled irritation.

"Yeah, that's so. Naoki, did you eat the last of the onigiri?" she asked in an aggrieved howl.

"No, you did," he replied. "Last night. _Late_ ," he added with emphasis.

"Oh, yeah." She blushed as she recalled having to shake rice grains off the sheets that morning. Brought back to the present: "Then what the hell am I going to eat now? I guess you're too busy to cook?" she asked, hopefully.

"If you can wait a little while longer I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, Mom's latest care package arrived."

"Woo!" Kotoko spied the box and opened it with glee.

"Now, Irie-kun," Matsumoto tried to drag his attention back to the textbook, "what about the future imperfect?"

"Man, my future will never be imperfect as long as Obasama sends food to us. Look! Here's one of your favorites!" Kotoko shoved a bite into his mouth then wiped the sauce from his lips with her thumb. Meeting Matsumoto's eyes deliberately, she then licked her thumb slowly.

Matsumoto, a flush of rage filling her cheeks, turned to Naoki, prepared to make a cutting comment on Kotoko's manners. She paused when she saw that his eyes were glued to Kotoko's mouth. "Well, I'll just be going." She began to gather her materials.

"Oh!" Naoki blinked and turned to her. "What about the irregular verbs?"

"I'll figure them out on my own," she replied tautly.

"Here!" Kotoko followed her to the door and handed her the recently shed top. "You don't want to forget your clothes and walk around half-naked out there and give the wrong impression. Some people don't care who they hit on, you know."

Matsumoto snatched her clothing from the other's hand. "Thankyousomuch!" she spat out as she exited.

Kotoko rocked back on her heels and grinned cheekily. "Wonder what her hurry was?" She snorted derisively. "Does she think she's fooling anybo—"

"Kotoko!"

"What?" She turned. "Now, wait a minute, Naoki!" She danced around the room. "Not until I eat, for goodness' sake! I don't have any energy!"


	5. Chapter 5

The light from the computer was not bright enough to awaken the snoring man in the bed behind her.

"Let's see, almost three hours from Tokyo to Shin-Kobe station and three more back will give me several hours to check on those two. If I prepare dinner ahead of time, I should be able to handle it…"

* * *

"Aihara-san! Wait up!"

Kotoko turned, shoulder twitching. "Matsumoto." _So that's who I felt watching me. Dammit, what now?_ "Hi, there. What's up?" she asked as the taller girl caught up to her.

The two walked in silence, Matsumoto appearing out of character, as if searching for words. Finally she spoke. "I don't think you and Irie-kun belong together."

Kotoko stumbled at that statement. "Say, what?!"

She shook her head decisively. "No matter how I look at it, I match better with him. We're both tall, athletic—"

"What the hell does _that_ have to do with anything?"

"—and intelligent."

"Well, you have me there. I've never tried to act smarter than I am. Although I'm smarter than I used to be." Kotoko put a finger to her lips. "Or do I mean that I was always that smart but never knew it—?"

"Stop trying to change the subject!" Matsumoto's hair almost crackled with fury. "I refuse to accept you as an appropriate partner for Irie-kun! He has such wonderful potential and you have—have—"

"My own potential?" Kotoko asked mildly, although her fingers tapped restlessly against her thigh.

"He is going to take over Pandai and be the next business wunderkind!" she burst out. "How does a nonentity like you measure up? Your inadequacies will shame the Irie family if you continue on in this relationship!"

That did it. "Shame the Irie family?!" Kotoko snorted. "Where do you get your information? Who the hell do you think is paying the rent for our house if not our families? Huh?"

"Well, well," Matsumoto sputtered. "I'm putting you on notice! I'm not giving up!" She stormed off.

"Gee," Kotoko massaged her temple. "Of all the guys on campus that you could fall for, why did you set your sights on _mine_?"

After Kotoko resumed her progress, the leaves of a tall Satsuki azalea behind her rustled. With twig-adorned hair and sunglasses askew, Mrs. Irie popped up and asked, in an irritated voice, "Yes, why?"

* * *

"Hello, Irie!"

Naoki looked over at the neighbor hauling a large bag through the back gate. "Good evening, Sugisaki-san. How are things in the bachelor pad?"

"Heh-heh." The other man tossed the bag into the bin. "We actually have an empty room now. Do you know of anyone who might need a place to live?"

"Not sure. I'll ask Kotoko and see if she knows someone." He paused. "May I ask why he moved out so early in the school year?"

"Oh, uh, it was personal—family!—reasons!"

"Mm-hm. I'll pass on the info."

"Thanks! Night!"

* * *

"Kin-chan, long time no see!"

"Hey, Satomi! Jinko!" He grinned widely. "Can't chat too long. I'm on my way to my second job!"

"Here?" The girls looked dubious.

"Yeah!" He pointed a thumb proudly at his chest. "I'm the new right-hand man for the school cafeteria lady! You'll be seeing me every day!"

"So you made it to college after all!" Satomi swatted Jinko for the slightly insulting remark.

"No, I'm all over that now!" He waved away her concern. "Especially since this job will bring me closer to my dearest dream."

Jinko and Satomi exchanged whispers then turned back to him. "Uh, Kin-chan," Satomi began, "is your dream still... _Kotoko_?"

"Why would you think I'd change?" he asked, affronted. "Of _course_ it's Kotoko."

Scratching her head, Jinko ventured, "And how is working at _Tonan_ University going to bring you two together?"

Kinnosuke rubbed his fingers together in the international sign for money. "I need some extra cash to go visit her. I'm sure that she misses me. You know what they say, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder!'"

"Yeah," Satomi muttered, "and the same people also say, 'Out of sight, out of mind!'"

"Wonder which one it'll be for him?" Jinko asked as they watched the boy strut towards the cafeteria building.

* * *

"Come on, Irie! Please!"

"I made the decision to concentrate on academics, at least for the first year. I'm sorry, Midou-sempai!"

"I can't believe that the person who qualified for the Kantō regional finals three years in a row—winning the last one in straight sets—is uninterested in continuing to play tennis!"

Naoki halted. "How did you know that?"

The older student gulped. "Um, it's a matter of public record?" His voice rose in question.

Giving him a hard stare, Naoki continued on his way.

Midou chased after him. "All right, all right! It was Matsumoto who told me! But my need still exists. I have a grudge match coming up this fall against my old high school rival, and she _guaranteed_ that we'd win with you aboard."

Naoki faced him grimly. "You realize that she has an ulterior motive in this, don't you?"

"What?!"

"She has been chasing me for the past few months, and—oh, _damn_ , this just makes me sound full of myself, doesn't it?" He covered his face with one hand.

Sensing weakness, Midou dove in for the kill. "Look, if it's a personal matter, we'll work around it. I know you're capable of winning. Just show up for practice whenever you want!" He took hold of the other's forearms and dropped on his knees in front of him. "I'm _begging_ you!"

Naoki tried to pull away, glancing around the—luckily—fairly unoccupied campus. "Stop this! You're embarrassing yourself!"

"I don't care!" He clung on. "Please!"

"Okay, okay!" he hissed out. "But if this starts to interfere with my classes—"

"It won't! I promise!" With victory in hand, he regained his feet and began to talk rapidly. "All right! Now practices are every day after 4:00—"

"You said I only had to go when I wanted."

"That's right! That's right!" he assured him. "I only want you to know the times, for when you do show up! But we have a tennis camp during summer break that you absolutely _must_ attend!"

"Camp? You mean overnight—away?"

"Duh! That's the whole point, to get closer to your teammates as you hone your skills!" He gave him a comradely slap on the shoulder then backtracked at the glare he received. "Not that I doubt your ability, but the rest of the team won't like you missing every practice."

 _'Get closer', eh?_ Naoki thought. "Then, Midou-sempai, I have one more condition on joining."


	6. Chapter 6

"No, no, no!" Kotoko stomped around the room, arms waving. "I'm not a tennis player—you know that better than anyone! Why did you join us up? Besides, I thought you weren't going to play tennis in college."

"I wasn't," Naoki tried to reason with her, "but the tennis captain appears to be in a bind to an almost embarrassing degree."

Kotoko crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip. "How did he know to recruit you, anyway?"

His eyes slid to the side. "Uh, Matsumoto told him about me."

"That girl!" Kotoko expostulated. "Your mother's lessons must've really sunk in, otherwise I would've taken care of this _long_ ago. Now I'd feel guilty spilling her blood—even though that's what I want to do!"

Naoki wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I don't know that I want a completely tamed Kotoko," he laughed, "but we need to keep the blood-spilling to a minimum. Besides, you didn't let me finish. _You_ don't have to play tennis."

"Huh? You mean I don't have to humiliate myself on the court in that ridiculously short skirt?"

He nuzzled her neck. "I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like other guys seeing you in those outfits. But you can wear them if you want."

"Maybe with gym shorts," she mused. "Hey, that tickles," she protested as his laughter was muffled on her neck.

* * *

"So what _will_ I be doing?" she asked as they prepared dinner.

"I convinced the captain—Midou-sempai—to have you there as an athletic trainer." When Kotoko snorted, he explained, "No, you're not going to be teaching us. Heaven forbid," he muttered. "The position is actually in name only. This was the only way I could get him to let you join us at the facility."

Kotoko rubbed her nose. "What does a trainer—a _real_ trainer—do?"

"Well," Naoki began, "he or she monitors the physical condition of the players, assesses injuries, wraps sprains, etc. It's a fairly standard position with United States teams."

"Hmph! I'm better at giving—and _getting_ —injuries than treating them!"

"True," he agreed, "but you don't have to worry, since it's just an excuse for you to chaperone me when Matsumoto is around."

"I don't know," Kotoko said slowly. "It sounds sort of interesting. And honestly, I'll probably be bored just hanging about. Anyway," she grinned up at him, "knowing how to fix injuries surely can't hurt, with my history!"

"If you're serious, you can talk to trainers from other sports at camp. But only during times that I'm safe from Matsumoto!" he warned.

" _Other_ sports at camp? I thought it was just tennis."

"This college has a large extracurricular facility in the country, and it's not just for athletics. Several sports teams have reserved space at the same time, and some of them have managers trained to treat simple injuries."

"Well," Kotoko mused, "at least it will be a change of pace for me."

* * *

"Take that, you rebel scum!" Kotoko quickly maneuvered her TIE fighter for a second run.

"Aw, Aihara! You killed Solo!" whined Sakamaki.

"Man, he's the secondary hero of the game! Blasting the Millennium Falcon like that—!" put in Kadota.

"Sorry, guys," she grinned cockily, "but I prefer the Dark Side!"

"Because they don't fight by the rules?" Naoki asked, leaning back. He had decided to join the play during this get-together and had been blasted into bits early on.

"No!" She opened another bag of Oreos and waved one at him. "Because they have cookies!"

Amid the collective groans of the gaming club, one of them piped up. "Yeah, by the way, Ai-chan, thanks for the heads-up on the room next door!"

"No, prob, Yamada-kun! You settle in okay?"

"Their music is a little loud on the weekends—"

"Tell me about it!" muttered Naoki.

"—but they're good guys overall. Plus," he added with a grin, "I don't have far to walk to get home after our sessions here!"

"I wish I could find a sweet place like that!" declared Miyashita. "I live in a dive! No decent girl would want to visit me there!"

The other members—including "Spielberg" and "Lucas"—immediately began throwing wadded up snack wrappers at him. "As if they'd visit you even if you lived in the Imperial Palace!"

After their laughter died down, Yamada commented, "The only problem is getting in the bathroom on the weekends. My housemates' girlfriends arrive on Friday and most of them stay until Monday. Private home rentals are much looser on company restrictions than college housing!"

"I thought Sugisaki-san's grandmother told him to rent only to men," Naoki commented.

"That's right," Yamada admitted, "but he figures _visiting_ is another matter."

"He may get burned on that assumption," he warned. "If his grandmother drops in unexpectedly—"

"Yikes!" Kotoko interjected. "Because I've seen them drying their underwear on the clothesline too!"

"Plus," Yamada leaned closer, speaking in a confidential tone, "the reason my room became available is because the previous tenant's girlfriend got, uh, 'in the family way', and they went back to their home town and moved in together."

"You'd think they'd be more responsible," Naoki commented critically.

"Well, they were practically engaged already," Yamada informed him. "It must have been meant to be, because the guys have a communal stash of birth control in what they call their 'Love Cabinet'." His face fell. "Not that _I've_ had the pleasure of using any of it."

Kotoko placed both hands on her flushed cheeks. "Okay! Time for a change of subject!"

"What's wrong?" Naoki teased her. "No longer fun being 'one of the boys'?"

* * *

Kotoko yawned as she watched Matsumoto and Naoki volley on the tennis court. Another concession that Naoki had wrung from Midou in exchange for his participation was that he did not have to sleep in the facility dorms during the camp. Since she and Naoki were staying in the nearest town, they had to wake early to arrive in time for morning warm-ups.

Now, with the sun heading for its zenith, exhaustion and boredom were catching up to her. The two top players seldom missed a ball, so her head was moving from side to side just like audiences in those old sports animes she and her pals used to watch. With them on opposite sides of the net, she didn't see that he was in much danger from Matsumoto's advances. She set her feet on the chair in front of her and rested her head on her knees. From this vantage point she spied a green field between the thin line of trees where a number of students were kicking soccer balls.

 _Hmm._ "Hey, Naoki!" she called down. He caught the tennis ball instead of returning it and looked up at her. "I'm just going to go over there!" She waved her arm toward the shrub-lined path to the field.

"Sure thing!" he replied, believing that she was heeding the call of nature.

* * *

Kotoko found that she was not the only female observing the practice. _Groupies_ , she thought contemptuously when she heard their high-pitched giggles. _Must be from some other sport, since we're out in the boonies here_. Vaguely wondering what they played— _Volleyball? Softball?_ —she glanced back to the field where her eyes were caught by a young woman in the process of adjusting a bandage on the knee of a sidelined player. After a moment he stood and began a slow jog around the track. She squinted as the halting form he exhibited seemed vaguely familiar. A burst of conversation from the group nearby had her eavesdropping unintentionally.

"I hope that Shitara-san doesn't strain his knee!"

"I'm sure that he'll take care. Imagine finding him at our little college retreat! This was an unexpected bonus!"

"Do you know if he has a girlfriend?"

"Not that I know of. I've heard that he's been seen with at least four different women just in the past two weeks."

"Well, that means there's room for more. I wonder how we can wangle an introduction."

"Excuse me," Kotoko walked up to them. "Did you say 'Shitara'? Could that gimp out there be Shitara Hiroto?"

They looked at her as if an unpleasant aroma had reached their noses. Kotoko resisted the temptation to sniff herself. "You shouldn't refer to Shitara-san in that manner."

"His limp is merely temporary," added another.

"And where have you been not to have known that he is attending here?"

"Yes, he is the Big Man on Campus, for sure!"

"Sorry," Kotoko replied meekly. "I don't tend to listen to a lot of gossip. I've been busy with my classes and activities so far."

"Well, you can just remain in your own little circle. We have enough competition already."

Kotoko held up her hands and waved them. "Whoa! There must be some misunderstanding. I'm not interested in him in that way." She glanced back at the tennis court. Yep, they were still hitting that little ball. Sighing, she wondered how they made it look so easy. When _she_ had finally learned the knack of getting it over the net, it usually went over the fence as well.

"Oh! Look! He's coming this way!"

"He's slowing down a little more. Maybe he'll rest near here."

"This could be our chance to meet him!"

Kotoko rolled her eyes, then cupped her hands over her mouth. "Hey, Stinky Shit! Get your lazy ass over here to meet your fans!"

The player's head whipped around at the same time as the girls let out horrified gasps and hissed, "How _dare_ you?!"

He began a slow jog to the trees. "Who the hell told you that name?" he hollered.

"I believe I read it on the Internet. Hashtag Chin-Busting Asshole." Kotoko hooked her thumbs in her belt loops and rocked back and forth on her heels.

"Ai-kun?!" His face split in a grin and his limping lope sped up. He halted in front of her and they executed an elaborate series of gestures that began with a bow and handshake and ended with entwined forearms. "Ai-kun!" He backed away and opened his arms wide. "Look at you! All grown up, with boobs and everything! Don't tell me," he leaned in with a wink, "you've finally fallen for me?"

"In your dreams," she snorted. "No, these girls here," she indicated the now-struck-silent group, "were interested in an introduction."

"Delighted!" He smoothed back his hair and gave them a practiced smile. "I'm always happy to meet friends of yours."

"Oh, I don't know them. We just got to talking. Which reminds me, I need to get back to the tennis area. See you around!" She called with a wave as she retraced her steps.

Naoki met her a few meters off the court. "Where have you been?" he asked between clenched teeth as he placed an arm around her and pulled her close.

"Whoa!" Kotoko's eyes opened. "What's with the blatant PDA? You usually only do hand-holding in front of other people."

"You were supposed to protect me this morning, yet you disappeared!"

"What in the world could she do on the tennis court?" Kotoko argued.

"This was _after_! How about mistake the male and female locker rooms and almost corner me in the shower?"

"Yikes! On the first day, no less! Although I don't see what _I_ could have done. What did you expect me to do, follow you into the shower and fight her off?"

Naoki grinned. "I'd rather have you in the shower than her!"

Kotoko returned the grin and tightened her arm around his waist. "That's what you said the night before we left!"

From the edge of the soccer field, Shitara let his eyes slide to the side while conversing with the giggling coeds. Imagine Ai-kun developing into such a nice compact package of femininity. It was no wonder that she had already caught the eye of some man. But in his experience, these relationships were fleeting. He could be patient.


	7. Chapter 7

Matsumoto swished her tennis racket through the air in frustration. Nothing was going right at this camp! She had persuaded the captain to coerce Naoki onto the tennis team and finagle him out of Aihara's vicinity only to be stymied again. After asking around—discreetly!—for Naoki's room assignment, she had discovered that he wasn't even in residence! And then _that girl_ showed up this morning, watching them like a hawk! And the one time that she _wasn't_ there, Naoki had slipped through her fingers like a seasoned escape artist.

She had chosen to work out her disgruntlement with an extra hour practicing her almost perfect serve after the others had already left the courts. She finally called a halt, realizing that if she didn't stop now, she wouldn't have time to shower before dinner. Not that she particularly _wanted_ to look at Aihara across the table, but she needed the nutrition.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that she was being followed until the group caught up to her.

"Matsumoto?"

She turned, squinting into the lowering sun. "Yes?"

"We'd like to talk to you," said one of the three female tennis players.

"What can I do for you, sempais?"

* * *

Kotoko was almost skipping along the path between the separate sports facilities, humming as the breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees and shrubs surrounding her. The afternoon tennis session had been same-sex doubles practice, so she had been set free of watchdog duty. Spurred on by a whim, she had wandered back over to the soccer area and had spent several hours with the young woman who had bandaged her old friend's knee earlier in the day. Nishikino Maki proved to be a competent young woman from a family of physicians. Unlike many of the sports managers, she had no personal athletic aspirations and was only interested in the medical aspect of the field.

"A sports manager over here in Japan has so many housekeeping tasks that sometimes the physical conditioning part of the job gets overlooked. When my family lived in the United States, we discovered that many teams employ a full-time athletic trainer. That position concentrates on treating and avoiding injuries, as well as basic first aid."

By the end of the afternoon, Kotoko had assisted in wrapping joints, applying bandages and even massaging a cramp. She had been given a list of recommended reading and a contact number for first aid lessons.

 _Maybe if I can make myself useful to the team in that way, it won't seem so boring acting as babysitter,_ she chuckled to herself. Deciding to make a quick detour into the outdoor shower facility's restroom, she found herself in the middle of someone's conversation—or rather, confrontation—as she turned the blind corner.

* * *

"Don't think your ambush of Irie-kun this morning went unnoticed, Matsumoto."

"Ambush? What do you mean?" She raised her chin defiantly.

"Come on!" the other scoffed. "You blatantly followed him into the men's side of the facility."

"So?" Matsumoto shrugged a shoulder. "Accidents can happen, especially in unfamiliar territory."

"If it had just been an accident, I don't think Irie-kun would have exited like a bat out of hell. Besides, that's just the latest incident. We've been watching you flirting with him, trying to get him to notice you."

"And what if I have? Is there a law against that?"

"You said it yourself. We're your sempais. We get first crack at the new guys." The girls raised their chins to emphasize the point.

"That's ridiculous!" Matsumoto's voice rose slightly. "You're acting like your senior position will make him give preference to you!"

"And you're acting like he's already yours! You need to back off, sister, and let the big girls have the sandbox now."

"And if I don't?"

"We'll just give you a little taste of what'll be coming to you then!"

They had barely begun to scuffle before another voice broke in. "You know, before fighting over someone, you might oughta check first if he's single."

The girls turned as one to Kotoko. "What?!" "This is a private conversation!" "Butt out!"

Kotoko drew closer and indicated Matsumoto with a jerk of her head. "So, yeah, for a few months now I've been tempted to do to her what you're doing. But since Naoki is _my_ boyfriend, I'm afraid you don't have the right. So back off."

All three of the older girls were above average height. "Don't make us laugh. _You_ —Irie-kun's girlfriend!" one of them scoffed. "You need to stay out of this, _little_ girl!"

"Oh, I really wish you hadn't said that," Kotoko sighed mournfully.

* * *

"And then after that, _they_ wished they hadn't said that," Kotoko finished the tale as Naoki used the same skills that Nishikino had in applying bandages to her scrapes. She had insisted that Matsumoto be treated first and had used her new-found knowledge to instruct him every step of the way.

"So you went to Matsumoto's defense and then she came to yours?" He winked at Kotoko.

"It was three against one!" Matsumoto said. "I felt like I had to!"

Naoki laughed. "That would make the odds even with Kotoko's fighting skills. Well, I'm going to take the first aid kit and see if the others need any treatment. No," he pointed at Kotoko, who was in the process of rising, "you sit right there, young lady. I believe I'm able to defend myself for a _few_ minutes."

The atmosphere was slightly tense after he left. Finally, Matsumoto sighed and pulled her ponytail around her neck and looked at it sadly. "I'm going to miss this hair."

"Huh?" Kotoko looked at her quizzically. "You're cutting it off?"

"It's standard operating procedure for a broken heart, isn't it?" she replied. "I have to concede the field to you, Aihara-san. You came to my defense, plus I can see that Irie-kun is not planning to look my way."

"No, no!" Matsumoto almost fell over backwards as Kotoko took hold of her shoulders impetuously. "Your hair is beautiful! You _can't_ cut it! I've always envied people with hair like that." She looked at the ragged end of her pigtail then glanced back up at her. "I know! I'll cut _my_ hair for you! I was planning on doing it when summer hit and just forgot! Now that there's a reason, I'll go to the barber shop and get it chopped off!"

"Absolutely not!" Matsumoto looked shocked.

"Why not?" Kotoko smiled a little in remembrance. "I always used to have short hair."

"What about what Irie-kun would like? _He_ might have an objection."

"It's not _his_ hair!" Kotoko argued.

"At least ask!" Matsumoto snarled back at her. "He's your boyfriend after all, even though it pains me to say so!"

"Okay." Kotoko put out her lower lip. "But I bet he'll just laugh and say, 'Go for it!'," she muttered quietly.

"And you can just forget about the barbershop. Since you're taking the 'Heartbreak Cut' for me, I'm paying and we're going to _my_ salon! The day after we get back from camp! Got that?" She grabbed hold of her arm.

"Yeah, I got it, Matsumoto-san. Now can you let go, cause that's one of the places that's gonna bruise up later."

* * *

The farthest and smallest of the cabins in the complex was abuzz that night.

"She was like an avenging angel!"

"Swooping in to save the tortured innocent."

"Well, I don't think the tall girl was _that_ innocent. After all, it sounded like she was going after Irie-kun."

"Creative license, Lucas! I see that we need to revise the script. It's going to be a lot more action-oriented! I can see it now!" He spread his hands wide as if picturing a banner. "Kotorin Ninja Protector!"

"No, no! Samurai!"

The argument continued into the early hours of the morning.

* * *

"Satomi, are you really planning on dating that guy you met at the skiing circle?"

"Is there a problem with that?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

Jinko looked at her feet and kicked a stone in the path. "Well, he kind of reminds me of that Class A guy you went out with during senior year."

Her friend smiled. "Yes, he does to me, too."

Whatever Jinko was about to say in response was forgotten when they exited campus and encountered another pal from high school.

"Kin-chan!"

"Baka-Kin!"

"Wha-what!" The sleeping youth awoke and sprang off the bench at the bus stop, all four limbs flailing, eyes wide. Satomi and Jinko took several steps backward, making sure to stay out of range.

"What the heck's got into you, Kin-chan?" Jinko asked bluntly.

"Yes!" Satomi snorted. "You were out like a light, just like a bum with an alcohol problem."

Jinko leaned closer and sniffed loudly. "You haven't been sneaking Aihara-san's sake, have you?"

"What do you take me for?" he roared in disgust. "These lips," he pointed to the two on his face that were flapping in the breeze at the moment, "will not touch liquor until I drink a toast at my wedding to Kotoko!"

"It's going to be a dry few decades for this one," Satomi stage-hissed to her friend.

Oblivious, Jinko decided to inquire further. "So, have you heard from her?"

Kinnosuke wilted before their eyes and sank back down on the bench. "No-o-o!" he howled. "And I went to Kobe early yesterday to surprise her and waited and _waited_ and WAITED in front of her house! No one came to the door, no matter how long or loud I knocked. I almost missed the last train back. I just thought I'd rest my eyes a bit before heading to work at her dad's place."

"Dimwit!" Satomi scoffed. When he beetled his brows at her, she admonished him, "You always jump off without a plan." She pulled out her phone and tapped it several times. After a few seconds it buzzed, and she sighed after reading it. "Kotoko is away at a tennis camp. If you had bothered to check her schedule…"

"C'mon, Satomi," Jinko slapped her back. "You can't expect to teach an old dog new tricks!"

"Who ya callin' a dog?!" Kinnosuke leaped back to his feet ferociously.

The girls appeared unfazed by his posturing. "It's your money to waste," Satomi retorted as she turned and headed to the train station.

"Yeah, Kin-chan!" Jinko reminded him, "now you've got to start saving up again!"

He crossed one leg over the other and rested an elbow on a knee. "Next time!" he vowed. "Next time!"


	8. Chapter 8

"Ta-da!" Matsumoto spread her arms to announce Kotoko's entrance into the room. Her slight bashfulness with having not only a fancy salon pixie cut but also professionally applied makeup disappeared as she rushed over to pound a coughing Naoki on the back.

"Whoa! I wasn't planning to kill you with the change!" she assured him anxiously. "Is it too bad?"

"No, no," he waved a hand in denial while trying to catch his breath. "You look...different," he finished lamely, for once being at a loss for words.

"Well, if that doesn't beat all!" Matsumoto scolded him. "Three hours in the salon and all you can say is 'different'. It almost makes me wonder about your reputed 200 IQ," she sniffed.

Kotoko ran a hand through the short tresses. "You can't blame him," she argued. "The last time it was this short was in grade school."

"Right!" Naoki pointed at her. "That photograph you showed me the week you moved in! Although," he cast a critical eye at her, "this is _way_ more flattering."

"That's better," Matsumoto said, nodding in approval.

"Yep!" Kotoko beamed. "Plus I don't have to decide how I'm going to wear it. Ponytail, pigtail, braid…"

"...side ponytail, headband," Naoki continued with a laugh.

* * *

"Why in the _world_ ," Matsumoto paused as she fired her phaser cannons, "am I at your house with a group of gamer geeks?"

"Nothing better to do, maybe?" Naoki followed her ship's lead and took care of an enemy freighter that was bearing down on them.

"Puh-lease!" she panted in frustration after both of them were blasted from space in a physics-defying fireball. "As if!"

"Aw, that's too bad, Yuuko-chan!" Kotoko hugged her from behind in sympathy. "Better luck next time!"

"Hey, Ai-chan! It's your soccer-friend-dude who's waxing our tails!" complained Aikawa.

"That damn Shit-kun!" Kotoko cursed. "He always finds our games! The least he could do would be to join us instead of ambushing us like the yellow coward dog that he is!"

"I don't know if this room could hold another person, Kotoko-chan," commented Matsumoto. "We're practically on top of each other as it is, and those two in the corner aren't even playing."

Kotoko glanced over her shoulder. "Yeah, Spielberg and Lucas never do. Hey, they're drawing again."

As if nervous of the attention, the two stood and packed up their bags. "We'll be leaving now, Ai-chan, Irie-kun." They bowed.

"Early night, eh?" Naoki asked.

"No, we're just going next door to work on our animated feature."

"Next door?" Kotoko's eyes widened.

"Yes," Sugawara replied. "Another room became available and Yamada gave us the heads-up."

Araki leaned over and stage-whispered, "Miyashita's pissed because we got it instead of him."

"You're sharing?" she asked.

"Yes, it's more economical than where we were living before and the wifi is a lot better."

"Ha!" Kotoko laughed. "Those hard-rock guys will be outnumbered soon if this keeps happening."

"Especially if the birth control keeps failing," Yamada murmured in an aside to Naoki.

He stared at him. "Again?"

* * *

Matsumoto stood in the bedroom and watched Kotoko fluff the pillows after turning back the watermelon-colored duvet. "You don't have to stay in here with me, Kotoko-chan," she said blushing. "You and Irie-kun can—"

"Don't be silly!" Kotoko bounced on the bed with a grin. "I never got to host girlfriend sleepovers when it was just Otosan and me because he worked so late, and I didn't feel comfortable inviting others over when we moved in with the Iries last year. So let me enjoy it now."

"All right," she laughed.

"So when I'd stay with Satomi and Jinko—my friends from high school," Kotoko rolled onto her stomach, tucking a pillow underneath her, "we would listen to music and play dress-up." She stuck her tongue out to show what she thought of the second activity. "What do girls usually talk about at slumber parties where you're from?"

"Their boyfriends," Matsumoto answered flatly.

After a brief silence, Kotoko whistled. " _Awk_ -ward!"

The other girl rolled onto her back next to her and stared at the ceiling. "Just a little." There was a pregnant pause, then she added, "But why not? How did you fall in love?"

"Fall?" Kotoko chewed on a thumbnail. "I wouldn't call it that. It was something that kind of grew gradually."

She jerked the hand out of the other's mouth. "Don't do that, especially when you just had a manicure."

Kotoko's bottom lip protruded briefly as she looked at her sparkly fingers. "Even Obasama wasn't able to get me to set foot inside a nail salon. You're crazy powerful, Yuuko-chan."

"Don't change the subject," she chided. "You mean, it wasn't love at first sight?"

"Well, you see, I was asleep when we first met, and then he teased me at our second meeting—which I _thought_ was our first—so it wasn't really romantic."

"Teasing? Irie-kun? I always thought him cool, calm and collected in all circumstances. To me, that was one of his more attractive traits."

"Huh. I didn't see much of that side of him. I guess I aggravated him a bit."

"Well then, what _did_ attract you? How about his athletic ability? Surely you can't say that you didn't appreciate his body."

"Ah, there were a couple of times that his strength came in handy—but about the athletics! Let me tell you what he did to me last summer—"

The girls jumped when there were three knocks on the wall next to them. "Kotoko, you're getting so loud that I can even hear you over the neighbors' music!" Naoki called.

"Oops," she giggled, lowering her voice.

"Say," Matsumoto asked, "what's up with that music anyway?"

"I don't know," Kotoko shook her head, "but if they keep replacing original tenants with members of the gaming club, I think we'll hear a change. Here," she reached into the nightstand, "disposable ear plugs?"


	9. Chapter 9

"How's that feel, Yuuko-chan?"

Matsumoto flexed her arm and checked out the movement of her wrist, now wrapped in tape. "Pretty good, Kotoko-chan," she replied. "That should give me enough support for about fifteen extra backhands."

"Great!" Kotoko beamed then looked around. "Anyone else?"

"Nice wrapping job, Ai-kun."

Kotoko whirled to see her friend leaning lightly on a cane. "Shit-kun! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Just...expanding my horizons." His eyes slid over to Matsumoto, checking her shoelaces. "And who do we have here?"

After a quick introduction, Kotoko focused her attention on putting her case back in order. When she straightened, she felt a chill by her side and turned to see Matsumoto glaring at Shitara in poorly suppressed fury.

"Sempais!" the taller girl called suddenly.

The huddled trio that had surrounded her less than a month ago jumped. "Yes, Matsumoto?" the bravest asked.

"Our soccer colleague here would appreciate a _personal_ explanation of the 'sport of kings'. Unfortunately, I'm playing one of the first matches. Can I leave him in your hands?"

Shitara cocked a jaunty eyebrow at her. "Until later, mon amour!"

"Not likely!" she muttered at his back.

Kotoko sidled up to her. "What happened, Yuuko-chan?"

She sniffed. "That...turd suggested a portion of his anatomy that I could wrap in athletic tape, if I visited his room."

"Ewww!" Kotoko wrinkled her nose. "I'm guessing that it wasn't his knee." When Matsumoto raised an incredulous eyebrow at her, she quickly added, "Well, at least you sent him where he could be appreciated!" The rest of the female members of the team had surrounded him and were twittering like birds.

"I just hope I can keep my breakfast down long enough to finish my first match!" she declared as she strode to the team huddle.

* * *

"Say, sempai," Yamauchi called out as more members emerged from the dressing rooms to join them. "You said one of these teams was led by your rival. Which one? And what do we have to look out for?"

"Why, Irie can probably tell you just as well as I can," Midou responded jovially.

Naoki's head shot up at the mention of his name. "Me?"

"Yes. You played on his team back in high school."

"No. Don't tell me." He sat down suddenly. "We're playing against Tonan University—and _Sudo_?!"

"That rat bastard!" Midou growled. "Acts just like a pussycat off the court, but once he picks up a racquet he's a roaring lion! No mercy to the weak!"

"Sounds like an interesting person," mused Matsumoto. "Did you know him, Kotoko-chan?"

"No," the other girl replied. "I didn't get involved with tennis until after he graduated. I wouldn't even know what he looked like."

"He's hard to miss, since I hear he's sporting a full mustache these days," Naoki informed her. "But he always produces a good team, even if his methods are a little wonky."

"A good team." Matsumoto was thoughtful. When Naoki and Kotoko looked at her in inquiry, she laughed and shrugged. "Well, the only reason I came to SuSe was for you, Irie-kun. I've been thinking of transferring to another school next year. I might as well select one that has an excellent team in my extracurricular sport."

Naoki breathed out in a huff. "Just wait until you meet him in person before making a decision."

"How bad can he _really_ be?" she asked, adding to herself, _Especially considering what I've already experienced this morning!_

* * *

Midou, almost gnashing his teeth at Sudo's cocky bellows, was buoyed by the fact that SuSe's team, led by Irie and Matsumoto, was soundly in the lead. Added to that was the fact that the audience continued to grow until it was larger than any in recent memory as news of a grudge match spread in some mysterious way across campus. With such a crowd gathered, it was fairly easy for a certain non-student with an over-sized hat to blend in.

Finally, the time arrived for the men's singles final.

It was no secret that Sudo had spent the day concentrating his bantering attention on Naoki in anticipation of meeting him in the finals. While doing so, he had noticed that between matches Naoki returned to the company of a highly attractive brunette, whose name he had quickly ascertained from the brackets.

They met to spin the racquet and determine the start of the match. With a confident grin, Sudo opened the conversation. "So, Irie, we meet again."

"Obviously," Naoki replied in a bored tone.

"Now, now! Don't be so unfriendly," he admonished cheerily. "Of course, I'm a _little_ disappointed that you didn't attend Tonan and be on my team."

"As if that was a choice I would willingly make," Naoki muttered.

"What's that?" Sudo asked.

"I said I'm sorry that I caused you pain." He smiled blandly at him.

"Ha! But what a surprise it was. I thought for sure that even if you didn't choose Todai, you'd at least stay with the escalator program." He leaned forward and gave him a leering wink. "Although I _do_ see the attraction."

"Oh?"

"That Matsumoto over there!" He leaned sideways and waved her way. She turned her head deliberately while, next to her, Kotoko (too insignificant for Sudo to notice) covered a suspicious cough. "She is quite talented. There would certainly be a place for her on the Tonan team!"

"I don't know why you're talking to me about it. That's a decision _she_ would have to make."

"Now, now, we're both men here!" he chuckled. "Let's make this match a little more interesting. A wager, perhaps?"

"What do you mean?"

"If I win, you introduce me to her and let me persuade her to transfer colleges."

"You might try," Naoki grinned slightly in response, "but what happens if you _don't_ win?"

"Why, uh, I—"

"Never mind." Naoki won the spin and chose to serve. "I'll make the play interesting just for the hell of it."

* * *

The match was brutal for the Tonan team in general and for Sudo in particular. Naoki's services were overwhelmingly aces, and when there was a rally, Sudo was kept sprinting from side to side of the court until the ball would be smashed far out of his reach. When Naoki shot the ball between Sudo's legs for the final point, the gasps of the audience almost rustled the tree leaves.

Less than two hours after their initial conversation, eyebrows beetling in fury and frustration, Sudo bowed in defeat to Naoki. "So," he asked with a clenched jaw, "what is the penalty for my loss?"

"Actually," Naoki grinned, "I'm going to introduce you to Matsumoto and let you try to convince her to transfer."

"What!?" Sudo's jaw fell before he clasped Naoki's right hand and forearm with both of his sweaty hands and shook it violently. "You're a prince among men, Irie!"

"Don't crown me yet," he warned.

* * *

"I'm not interested."

"But Tonan has an excellent, competitive tennis team that would showcase your abilities."

"If that's the case, then why did SuSe win more matches today?"

"Well...your talent would shine even brighter at Tonan!"

"Brilliance in an extracurricular won't take me far in my chosen field."

"And that would be…?"

"Business."

"Ah! We have similar interests! I'm going into business, also."

"Really?" Held captive by Kotoko unwrapping her wrist, Matsumoto looked over Sudo's shoulder and asked, testily. "If I admit that you were right, will you _please_ take him away?"

Naoki wiped the smile from his face and approached, taking Sudo by the arm. "Come on, sempai. You've had your chance. She's not interested."

Sudo looked from one to the other. "Wait! I've been set up! You knew she wasn't going to come from the beginning! Are you two dating?"

"No, we're not," they said simultaneously.

"Come on," Sudo hissed not too quietly at Naoki, "who do you think you're fooling? If that was the case, there's no way she could resist my charm." He tugged free and turned once again to Matsumoto.

"I didn't get the chance to describe the pièce de résistance. Myself!" He bowed. "I am twenty one years old, single, debonair," he smoothed his mustache, "and longing to get better acquainted with you." His lips formed a pout as he closed his eyes in preparation for the "smoulder".

Unfortunately for him, his smoulder was fizzled out by a cold wet towel. "She said no."

Sudo pawed the fabric from his face and glared at the frowning tennis manager in front of him. "Why are _you_ interfering?" he growled.

"I'm her friend," she stated baldly.

"Then let me tell you—" he began.

Naoki's hand was in the air, about to drag him away to save him from a Kotoko beatdown when Matsumoto took over. Grabbing Kotoko and hugging her to her side tightly, she glared at him defiantly. "Yes, she's my _friend_ ," she said. "Understand?"

"Wha—you—she—hmm?"

Kotoko, startled for a moment, suddenly smiled sweetly and laid her head on Matsumoto's shoulder, trying not to look at her boyfriend, whose shoulders were shaking in repressed laughter. "You wouldn't want to separate us, now, would you?" She blinked her eyes at the mustachioed marvel.

"Ah, um, my mistake," he muttered then turned and shambled back to his team.

Matsumoto dramatically wiped her forehead. "Thank _God_ that worked! First the preening bastard this morning, and then that—that _moron_ leering at me all day!"

Naoki approached, chuckling. "I don't think he'll be bothering you again. Now, what was that about someone this morning?"

Kotoko replied while she finally freed the wrist from its wrappings, "It was just Shitara, looking for trouble. We palmed him off on the sempais, and they left half an hour ago."

Matsumoto shuddered, then squinted into the bleachers at the thinning ranks of spectators. "Hey, even the gamer boys showed up."

Kotoko glanced up. "Lucas and Spielberg? What got them all excited?"

* * *

"Do you think we should make it yuri now?"

"Man! Too damn late! We don't have time to change the graphics!"


	10. Chapter 10

Kotoko stared around at the booths. "The Fall Festival sure gets a lot of visitors."

"Yes. It's very popular with the alumni, or so I've been told," Matsumoto informed her.

"It's also a good recruiting tool," added Naoki.

Matsumoto sighed as yet another person ran into a lamp pole while staring at them. "So, Kotoko, I've been dying to ask. Why are you wearing a ninja costume today?"

"This?" Kotoko held up her arms and looked puzzled. "I'm serving popcorn for the club movie premiere. They said that this would bring people in, but I don't know why."

Naoki halted suddenly and said, " _I'm_ beginning to understand." Following the direction of his gaze, the girls saw a large poster advertising the gaming club's video, _Kunoichi Kotorin_. "I told you that you were going to be their star."

"Those damn jerks!" she hissed. "I'm going to string them up by their...toenails," she finished, noticing that children were nearby.

Matsumoto laughed. "Well, I might as well purchase my ticket for the next showing before I have to report for duty!"

"Yuuko!" Kotoko stretched a futile hand after her. "You traitor!" She shot a glance at Naoki. "At least _you're_ being loyal to me."

He laughed and patted her head. "Sorry, but I'll have to wait until after my club assignment before watching it. I'll be sure to come by and purchase some popcorn from you later."

She poked out her lower lip as she fanned herself with a flyer. "Thanks a lot. You get to operate a shaved ice machine in your tennis shorts while I'll be dressed head-to-toe behind a hot popcorn fryer."

"If those guys have any advertising sense, they'll put you on the other side of the counter."

"Huh?"

He nodded at a clump of students to their right. "If I'm not mistaken, several have already taken candid shots of you. Your club could make some extra money by charging them."

She scowled at him and the ogling students. "If this wasn't a PR event for the college, I'd probably be breaking a few phones—and maybe some bones!"

"I know, I know! Tell you what!" He leaned down. "If you're a good girl and stay out of fights, I'll take you to the movies later."

"You think you're so funny, Irie!" She shoved him away and stomped to the popcorn maker. "Okay, you bastards," she growled at Miyashita and Aikawa, cowering behind the table. "Show me how to run this thing!"

* * *

"What is this?!" Click! Click! "Kotoko-chan is angry at Onii-chan? I must investigate!" Mrs. Irie made sure that her wig had not slipped and shoved the Hollywood-style sunglasses farther up her nose before hustling after her son.

* * *

As it turned out, the tennis booth also featured a photographic component, as Midou displayed the recently won trophy, and the winners of the singles matches were frequently requested to pose with the meter-tall monolith. Whereas those two managed to smile for the cameras, the female ninja glowered at any brave enough to ask.

"That damn Spielberg and Lucas have put me in no mood to pose cheerfully with a smile," Kotoko protested to the other club members urging her to cooperate.

"Then don't smile!" responded Miyashita.

"Actually, it will be more in compliance with the film if you frown—or even scowl!" Aikawa pointed out.

Kotoko shot a heavy glare in his direction. "Do you mean that you've already seen that bloody movie?"

"Uh, all of us have." He quailed under the weight of her gaze.

"ALL of you?! And no one thought to tell _me_ about it?!" she roared. "Grrr!"

* * *

"Here you go, 'Kotorin'!" Naoki held out a melon kakigori. She sniffed before snatching it from him. He held up his hands in surrender. "Now, you can't blame me for thinking it's funny!"

"I _can't_?!" she snarled before biting a chunk off, ignoring the spoon. "Those guys," she poked an elbow in the direction of the popcorn machine, "are you _sure_ they didn't tell you anything about it?"

"Maybe I was a little suspicious," he grinned, "but I wasn't in on either the planning or the execution."

"Execution sounds about what I'm thinking of now," she muttered around a mouthful of ice.

"Slow down or you'll get brain freeze," he warned. "Now, come on and let's see what all the fuss is about!"

* * *

With all of the alumni and community visitors, no one paid much attention to a lanky young man walking the grounds, appearing to be in search of someone. Not even the fact that he was talking to himself seemed out of place in the festive atmosphere.

"Okay, Satomi said that she was attending this festival today. All I have to do is track her down." With the heavy crowds, he regretted not inviting some of his brothers and cousins to help him look. Of course, his failure to possess a clear photograph of Kotoko would have defeated the purpose of that.

Kinnosuke took full advantage of the wide variety of snacks that were being sold in the assorted club booths, offering unsolicited advice and criticism on their cooking methods and ingredients along the way. By the time he reached the end of the avenue, his frustration was at full boil.

He stood, arms extended and head thrown back, and yelled, "Kotoko, where are you?!" Feeling greatly relieved after this action, he took a deep breath and looked around again. Strange, but people seemed to be backing away. He shrugged and began to retrace his steps. A tug on his shirt halted him, and he turned to see an elementary schooler hanging on to him.

"Heh, heh," he grinned, "I guess college students are gettin' younger and younger."

The kid blinked at him then swallowed a mouthful of candied apple. "J'want to find da lady?"

"Huh?" He bent down to the child's level. "You know where Kotoko is?" His eyes followed the direction of a sticky pointing finger. "Wha-what?!" He tore the movie poster from the wall. "Kotoko! I'll save you!" He spun around frantically. "Where's the movie?!" Again looking in the direction of the stubby digit, he was aghast to see a large red "Sold Out" sign on the ticket booth counter. He was equally dismayed when the college clock began to chime the hour.

"Rats!" He twirled around again, desperately hoping against hope that by some miracle Kotoko would appear when she hadn't done so all day. "I've got to get to the station! Boss says I have to be there at closing to clean up since I had the night off!"

"Weird guy," the youngster said as he watched the uncoordinated retreat of a grown man, wailing and waving a crumpled poster as he ran down the hill.

* * *

"Aaargh!" Kotoko howled outside the theatre after the conclusion. Not that she had remained silent during the screening, but she had at least kept her voice down.

"I don't see what was so objectionable," Naoki attempted to reason with her.

"For one thing, it is a total rip-off of numerous manga and anime. And what's worse, they were shoujo! Adventurous and action-packed, but still shoujo," she added.

"I can see that would bother you," he managed, lips quivering.

"Girls raised as boys—well, yeah, I can see that—but hiding that much hair? And that much boobs!" She muttered, " _That_ was the only part of it that was shounen."

"But I _can_ see that you inspired it," he said. "After all, she cut off most of her hair dramatically while coming to the defense of her friend, 'Matsumi'."

"That move was totally stolen from _Yona of the Dawn_. They are going to be in _such_ trouble with the copyright police."

"Now, now." Naoki placed his arm around her shoulder and patted her comfortingly. "They're not going to come after an amateur college production."

"Yeah, but even more people are looking at me funny," Kotoko complained.

"Don't worry. It's all going to blow over quickly."

"It better."

"Aihara-san! Aihara-san!" A stranger rushed up and stood panting in front of them, hands on his knees.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You need to come to the central stage! Now!"

"Oh!" She perked up. "Did I win something?" She had placed her name in multiple boxes for prizes earlier in the day.

"Uh, maybe! You're a finalist in the SuSe Queen competition. It's almost time for the votes to be announced."

"Say, what?!"

"Yes! Your celebrity rose through the roof because of the movie!"

"Well, damn."

* * *

"My poor Kotoko-chan!" Mrs. Irie mourned while she scanned through her surreptitiously taken photos as the shinkansen sped back to Tokyo. "That evil tennis witch is still hanging around, seducing Onii-chan away while you were being exploited by those perverted anime boys. No wonder you never smiled!"

* * *

Two cars behind, Kinnosuke made attempts to smooth the surface of the mishandled poster. Oblivious to the sideways glances sent his way, he muttered, "Kotoko! Surely you see now that you belong back in Tokyo!"

* * *

"Whoever heard of a queen ninja?" Kotoko scoffed as she twirled the painted plastic crown on one finger.

"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything!" Matsumoto clicked her glass with Kotoko and Naoki's, plus the rest of the gaming club. "So," she asked after taking a sip, "what are you going to do with your overnight trip to Atami?"

"Why couldn't they have offered a practical prize?" Kotoko mourned.

"I don't know." Naoki held up the certificate and studied the fine print. "This might not be too bad."


	11. Chapter 11

"Thank you very much, but I'm sorry." Kotoko bowed politely for the fourteenth time the following week.

"My, my, aren't you the little heartbreaker?" Matsumoto laughed behind her.

"Stuff it, Yuuko!" Kotoko snapped. "You and Naoki are only making it worse!"

"What? No fits of jealousy from him?" she teased.

"No. He says now I know what he used to go through in high school."

"Don't worry." Matsumoto patted her back. "You're a novelty right now. It will wear off."

"Yeah, but I'm trying to keep from throttling these idiots. For God's sake, I'm not really an anime ninja!"

"Could've fooled me!" The girls turned at the interruption. Shitara approached, still sporting a slight limp.

"Hey, Shit-kun." Kotoko greeted him.

Matsumoto nodded in his direction and sniffed, having been decidedly unimpressed with the flashy soccer player at their prior encounter. "I'll see you at tennis practice, Kotoko-chan." Her eyes raked Shitara up and down. "Don't catch anything contagious from him."

"Ooh! Scary!" He gave a mock shudder as she departed. "So I hear you're the latest campus sweetheart, Ai-kun."

"Give me a break. It's a pain in the ass, and the sooner it goes away, the better."

"Really?" He grinned. "I have an idea about how to help with that."

"I've heard some of your ideas before, doofus," she countered. "I'm not holding my breath."

"He-e-ey! You wound me! Anyway," he took hold of her arm and walked with her, "these little 'love confessions' are aggravating the hell out of you, aren't they?"

"Yeah," she conceded. "And why do they persist when it's no secret that I have a boyfriend?"

"Your problem is that he's not notable enough to scare off the other guys."

"Huh? Naoki is the top tennis player of the college, maybe even Japan, plus he has a 200 IQ! How much more notable do you want?"

"Ah-hem!" He cleared his throat dramatically.

"Bless you," she said.

"I didn't sneeze, you idiot! I meant, take me!"

"Take you where?"

"Look." He stopped and held her shoulders. "Everyone knows who _I_ am."

"Egotistical much?"

"Wooh! Listen to you using big words."

"A 200 IQ rubs off on you sometimes. What's your point?"

"Ai-kun," Shitara said with exaggerated patience, "if you're seen with me, none of these little college peons will dare to approach."

"Right. Because of the stench of your bullshit. So, for the fifteenth time, thank you for your feelings, but I cannot return them." She bowed.

He blinked. "You thought that was a confession?"

She snorted. "I was giving you the benefit of the doubt. Look," she pointed out, "you may be the most well-known guy on campus, but you're also the biggest male-slut. No one's going to believe that you could narrow it down to one girl."

"But," he waved a finger in front of her nose, "they don't approach any of my women until I'm through with them, now do they?" His tone was triumphant.

"How would I know?" Kotoko circled him and proceeded on her way. "I don't keep track of your bedroom's revolving door."

"Ai-kun!" he yelled. "I'm calling a Shinshuu Emergency!"

She halted and turned slowly. "You had better not be shitting me. That's a serious thing."

"Right." He huffed out a breath then pointed to his knee. "You may have noticed that I'm still limping?"

She nodded. "It will take a little time to heal, I guess."

"Yes. But I need a personal trainer that's right here on campus. It's too much trouble to travel to the medical clinic all the time."

"What about Maki-san?" Kotoko recalled the helpful person she had met while at tennis camp.

"That was a temporary arrangement. Nishikino transferred to a university in Australia a few weeks ago."

"So find someone else," she replied unsympathetically.

"I have!" He pointed at her and she blinked. "I know what needs to be done. I just need someone to poke and prod and make me keep to it."

"And you chose _me_?" Kotoko sounded skeptical.

"You help out the tennis team, don't you?"

"Yeah." Her mouth quirked. "It started out for another reason, but I really enjoy it."

"This will be a little more complicated but could give you more experience than just taping joints."

"I don't know, Shit-kun." She shook her head. "I'm not qualified to get you back into professional shape."

"No, no. Nishikino left the surgical notes and the training schedule." He laughed shortly. "She thought I would be able to follow it on my own." He handed over a thick notebook.

Kotoko paged through it. "You could focus on it if you'd leave off tomcatting for awhile."

"What's that?"

"Nothing." She closed the notebook. "Let me look through this. If I don't think I can do it, I'm refusing the Shinshuu and you'll have to find someone else to get you in shape."

"I knew you'd do it, Ai-kun!"

"Didn't I just say I might not?!" she squawked, struggling against his sudden hug.

"I have faith in you!" He squeezed again before letting go.

She straightened her clothes. "And no more of that!" she warned. "Your hand was a little too close to...well, just don't do it again or I might forget that you're convel—convoy—not healed yet."

"Your wish is my command!" He made a low extravagant bow. "And don't bother with trying out big words. Neither of us are suited to that!"

"Well, at least Naoki would have known which one I meant," she muttered as she finally was free to make her way to class.

 _At last!_ Shitara rubbed his hands together. _All those months of turning down her game invitations was going to be worth it! She took the bait!_

* * *

"Mama!" Mr. Irie's voice rose high enough to make Yuuki peek into their bedroom. "How many times have you traveled down there without telling me?"

 _Oopsie._ He flattened himself against the wall outside the door. Just what he had suspected would happen. If he remained quiet, he might hear all the details.

"Um, not _that many_ times."

" _How many_?"

Yuuki had never heard his father this stern. "Ah, three?"

"Are you sure that's all?" Apparently it was, because he continued. "The children are walking the path to their own future. We should not be watching over their every step."

"But their relationship is in danger. Look, Papa!" There were various mouse clicks, which Yuuki assumed meant that her picture folder was being accessed.

"Here is this brazen hussy with Kotoko-chan! I overheard her tell our darling that she was a better match for Onii-chan!"

Yuuki nodded. That must be the brunette who had been walking with Kotoko on the campus.

"Again, Mama, that's something that they will need to sort out for themselves."

"And if that's not bad enough, this young man appears to be after our future daughter-in-law. Look at him! He is casting covetous eyes on her!"

The parents turned at the sound of a snort outside their room. In the next moment Yuuki was hauled in. Mr. Irie appeared to be about to lecture him for eavesdropping, but his mother saw in her son a potential ally. "See, Yuuki-kun!" She gestured at the screen. "You agree with me, don't you?"

Yuuki rolled his eyes. "If you hadn't kept your spying such a secret, I could have told you more. Onee-chan is pretty active in social media. The guy is one of Kotoko's old school friends, the one that's trying to turn pro in soccer. The girl," he opened the folder holding images of Matsumoto, "is now a good friend of both of them." He hit the back arrow. "Your information is both faulty and out-of-date." He suddenly focused on the screen. "A new folder?"

"Yuuki-kun!" His mother's voice was shrill. "It's almost as if you know what's on my computer!"

He sighed. "Mom, you really need a stronger password."

"This is a serious violation of privacy, son," his father told him in a severe tone.

"Yeah," Yuuki admitted, "but I wanted to keep track of her insanities since I didn't want a return to her weirdness of last spring. I guess I should have told you what was going on."

Mr. Irie cleared his throat. "Ahem! Going on these espionage missions rather raised her spirits, didn't it? But," he turned to his wife, index finger extended, "this must stop! Besides, they will be home next month for a holiday visit and you can take as many pictures as you like."

"But—but Kotoko-chan is in even more danger!" The two Irie men stared at her. "Open the folder, Yuuki-kun! Look! She is being made a laughing stock by these uncultured students. They forced her to pose in that ridiculous costume and even made a movie starring her." She nudged Yuuki out of the way and took control of the mouse. "I secretly recorded it! Just wait until you watch this!"


	12. Chapter 12

"Kotoko, what are you concentrating on so hard?" Naoki laid a hand on her shoulder as she looked from a binder to the computer screen.

"Huh? Oh, I'm trying to decipher some of these medical notes here." She grinned up at him, bangs flying every which way after she had shoved them back numerous times in frustration.

"Medical?" He blinked in surprise. "Don't tell me that you're planning to be a doctor."

"Not when I can only understand one in four words," she muttered back. "No, I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with Shit-kun's knee."

"Oh, the soccer player." He held out a hand. "May I?"

She handed it to him silently and watched him scan it. Few people besides herself could have read the slight muscle movements in his face which revealed comprehension.

"It looks like he had a bad collision with another player—and the goal—which resulted in a torn meniscus as well as strained ligaments. In other words, he tore some of the padding and stretched out what's holding it together. Arthroscopic—uh, miniature camera—surgery was successful," he turned a page, "and the outlook is good for full recovery."

"Enough to play soccer professionally?" Kotoko's face turned up to his anxiously.

He flipped several more pages then answered, "That's up to how well the follow-up therapy proceeds. Now," he closed the book and handed it back to her, "why do you have the therapist's notebook and what does his recovery have to do with you?"

Kotoko's mouth twisted. "Shit-kun doesn't have a designated therapist, and the soccer team manager that had been helping him left the country."

"I thought the professional team would have taken care of that."

She sighed. "Since he never got the chance to actually play for them, they claim they have no obligation to finance his recovery. He has a window of time to prove that he is physically qualified, and then they may or may not accept him."

"That bites. But it doesn't answer my question. Why _you_?"

"Well," she rubbed the back of her neck, "he called a Shinshuu Emergency."

"A Shinsh—wait, that was the name of the restaurant in that old picture of yours."

"Good memory, Naoki!"

"Eidetic. So this emergency has something to do with your elementary school gang?"

"Yes. It's sort of a drop-everything-and-help kind of thing." Seeing him frown slightly, Kotoko hastened to add, "But I told him that I wasn't going to do it if I didn't think I'd do a good job." She stared at the cover of the notebook in her lap.

"There are a lot of other people better qualified to help him on campus," Naoki commented. "No offense to you," he shook his finger at the flash of temper in her eyes, "but I wonder why he didn't advertise in the medical or physical education departments."

"Pride, I bet." She tossed the notebook onto the desk and rose. "He doesn't mind showing weakness in front of me, but heaven forbid his harem discover that he screams in pain."

"Does he?" His eyes lit up.

"I had to pull a splinter out of his finger once and you would have thought that it was stuck in his—well, never mind."

"So-o-o." Naoki let out his breath in a sigh. "You want to do this, don't you? And not from any feeling of obligation."

"Yeah." Kotoko's arms encircled his waist and she rubbed her nose on his shirt. "Maki-san is the one who got me started with athletic training, and I'd like to finish her work with Shit-kun. But I get the feeling that you don't think it's a good idea."

"It's just one more thing to distract you from your studies." He pressed her face upwards with a hand under her chin then laid his forehead on hers. "You'll have to cut back on the time you spend with online gaming."

Kotoko chuckled, realizing the comment was an admission that he was going to help her carve out the time to do it. "If any more of the members move next door, _they_ can start hosting the get-togethers!"

"We almost need both houses with the extra bodies that have shown up since the festival," he added with a grin. "Something about killing aliens while in the same room as Kunoichi Kotorin has made these parties much more popular."

She grimaced. "Oh, by the way, that reminds me. Shit-kun thinks that spending time with me will discourage all those guys who have crushes on that damn anime character."

"Huh?" Naoki's brow creased.

"Yeah! Can you imagine? _He_ thinks that _they'll_ think I'm dating _him_! What a hoot!" Laughing heartily at the thought as she headed for the shower, she didn't notice that Naoki did not join in her hilarity.

* * *

"I can't believe you actually agreed to help out that scumbag," Matsumoto complained as Kotoko wrapped her wrist before tennis practice. She glared at Shitara, stretching behind Kotoko.

"Hey, he's my childhood friend, Yuuko-chan!" she chided as she ripped off the tape in a by-now skillful manner.

She sniffed. "It seems like your first loyalty would be to the tennis team."

"I'm still here, aren't I? And besides, helping him might give me some skills that would benefit you guys in the long run."

Matsumoto cut her eyes over to where Naoki and the captain were practicing their service. "But what about his reputation with women?"

"Hah! He doesn't look at me in that light!" she laughed. "And besides, he was right! Ever since he and I have been therapy-ing together, I've hardly had any love confessions."

"I wish I could say the same." Matsumoto made a face and sniffed. "There are a number of students who became enamored of 'Matsumi' in that movie, as well!"

"So it's sour grapes because you're suffering what I got free of!"

She rested the strings of her racquet firmly on Kotoko's head to keep her in place and leaned down to speak to her softly. "I'm just warning you that talk like that probably won't go over well with Irie-kun. No man likes to hear that his woman is spending time with another man!"

"Naoki's not like that!" Kotoko protested. "He actually helped me translate that medical-speak so I could get Shit-kun on the right schedule. And besides, Shit-kun doesn't—"

"I know—he doesn't see you like that. Well, I just hope you're right and my feminine intuition is wrong. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him." She rolled her eyes. "And listen to _me_ warning _you_! Any other woman would be doing her best to push you into his arms to separate you from the man she loves!"

"Aw, Yuuko-chan!" Kotoko grabbed her around the waist. "That's 'cause you love me too!"

"C'mon, Ai-kun!" Shitara pulled her away by her shoulders. "Time to pay attention to the _important_ people out here!" He winked at Matsumoto and she shuddered.

"All right, all right!" Kotoko picked up a clipboard and stopwatch. "We're doing run/jogs today, then several sets of shuffles. If you keep picking up your pace and don't have any pain, next week I'll try you on some suicides."

"That's my girl!" he proclaimed in an overly loud voice as he strutted out of the tennis area with a proprietary arm over her shoulders. "I really don't mind being an M to your S!"

Matsumoto facepalmed while the rest of the players laughed at Kotoko's confusion. On the court, Midou also chuckled, then commented. "Man, Irie, your girlfriend sure is nice to take over his training!"

"Too nice!" Naoki growled as his next serve raised chalk from the sideline. _Dammit, now_ _ **I**_ _have to come to practices to chaperone_ _ **her**_ _!_


	13. Chapter 13

"The shower's all yours, Naoki," Kotoko called as she entered the study, toweling her hair dry.

When he only grunted in response, she wandered over and hugged him from behind as he sat at the desk.

"I bet you're not feeling that great because you didn't have any dinner. Do you want me to nuke you something before bed?"

He shrugged away her arms. "No, that won't be necessary."

Staring at his profile, she blinked then said, "Okay. Hey!" She leaned back over him. "That's a medical book. I'd recognize that gobbledygook anywhere. Are you looking up something about Shit-kun's condition?"

He slammed it closed and turned to her with a frown. "No, I'm not! Why do you think that the universe revolves around that idiot? Oh, right!" he slapped the desk, "because _he_ thinks it does!"

"O-o-okay." She backed out of the room. "I'll leave you and your shitty mood alone tonight. Bye!"

Cursing under his breath, Naoki turned back around and opened the book again. Yes, her friend's condition had exposed him to an interesting field of study, but he couldn't help resenting the amount of time that the project took out of Kotoko's schedule. Time, he admitted, that had formerly been spent with him. "She should know better," he muttered as he tried to concentrate on the fascinating intricacies of the lymphatic system.

* * *

"Yo, Kotoko," Shitara bent over after his last set of shuffles, "you haven't been your usual chipper self for the past few days."

"Really?" she answered with an indifferent shrug.

"Hmm," he grinned at her, "let me see if I can guess. It's either your time of month," she glared at him, "or it's boyfriend trouble." When her gaze dropped back down to the clipboard, he thought, _Bingo!_

* * *

Later, in the tennis complex supply room, he decided to broach the subject again. "You know, Ai-kun," he began in a studiously casual manner, "I don't think you and Irie are a good match."

Kotoko slanted a look his direction. "And _you_ would be the expert there? I saw how many girls you went through last semester."

"Well, yeah," he responded. "That gave me the experience to recognize it. And believe me, you two are _not_ simpatico."

"Quit speaking fancy French, dorkface, and hand me some more binding to stack."

"It's not French, it's Italian. One of the most romantic languages in the world," he crooned in her ear.

She shoved his head away. "Only if you understand it. And most of the students here don't, so basically that marks you as a con artist."

"You wound me, Ai-kun, you wound me."

" _Someone_ will if you don't quit messing with other guy's girlfriends. That rugby dude meant business last week. Now," she slammed the doors shut, "we're done here and I'm going home. Since you won't listen to sense, I bet you're _not_ going to do the same. Just try to keep your knee undamaged by your 'extracurricular activities'."

Shitara glared after her. ' _Other guy's girlfriends' indeed!_ There was only ONE girlfriend that he was _really_ interested in, but when would she realize it?

* * *

Practicing returns against the oscillating ball cannon, Matsumoto struck up a conversation with a silent Naoki. "You seem to be a little off your form lately."

"What does it matter?" he responded as another of his volleys landed out of bounds. "It's not as if I'm going pro."

Taking her turn, Matsumoto hit it cleanly—and within the lines. "Neither am I, but I still want to give my very best." After receiving no response, she opted for the direct approach. "Look, I'll cut to the chase. You've been acting like a bear with a splinter in its paw. No one else on the team wants to deal with your moods, and Kotoko even said you had PMS."

He smashed a ball so hard into the fence that it stuck in the chain link. "She's accused me of that before!"

Eying the trapped ball, Matsumoto made sure that her hit was true. "So you're prone to this type of behavior?"

"Only since she's been in my life!" Naoki threw the racquet to the ground. "How am I _supposed_ to act?" He leaned back as a ball shot in front of him. "That slimy turd is taking all of her attention!"

Matsumoto stepped backwards to avoid the next ball. "I assume you are describing Shitara the Sleaze?"

" _You_ can see him that clearly. Why can't _she_?" He dodged again.

"You're both too close to the situation." Matsumoto decided to go back to returning the balls headed her way instead of scrambling out of their path.

"I don't know. He seems to be a lot closer to _her_ lately, and vice versa." Whoosh. Dodge.

"Well, you agreed that she could assist him in his rehabilitation."

"That's true. And I understood that it would take a lot of her time." Whoosh. Dodge. "So I don't know why I'm irritated about it so much now."

"You're an idiot, Irie-kun."

"What?!" Whoosh. He barely dodged in time.

"You're jealous, you fool!" She held her racquet out to protect both of them and just let the ball hit against the strings and rebound wildly.

"Ridiculous!"

"It couldn't be more obvious if your skin turned green!" As he gaped at her in astonishment, she yelled, "I can recognize it when I see it, for God's sake! Goodness knows, I've felt enough of its pangs the past few months!"

"Jealous?"

"So much for being a genius!"

"Jealous?" he repeated, more quietly.

"And you'd better get your act together if you don't want to push her into that scumbag's arms!" On that parting shot, she stalked off the court.

"Jealous, huh?" he said to himself once more, right before the oblivious cannon managed a solid blow to his temple.

* * *

"Ouch!" He touched the cold patch that Matsumoto had just stuck to the side of his head.

"Leave that alone," she warned. "It'll have to do until Kotoko comes back."

He sighed and looked at his feet stretched out before him. "Pretty pathetic, aren't I? Jealous of a guy who's trying to get back in shape so he can have a career."

"Part of it is that you're worried she'll get carried away with her 'old pal' feelings and leave you," she offered.

"She does have lots of good memories of her friends from back then."

"But she's with _you_ now!" She patted his shoulder. "Even as hard as I tried to dislodge her, she's still with you."

"And even with me acting like a fool, she's still with me." Naoki managed a joke at his expense. He then looked up at her in all seriousness. "I'm sorry to have caused you this kind of pain."

"Ah," she tossed her head and looked away, "it's just one of life's experiences. I'll get over you with time and distance."

"Distance? You going somewhere?" he joked.

"Didn't Kotoko tell you? I've been in contact with Todai. I aced their entrance exam earlier this year, by the way. I'll be moving to Tokyo for my second year of college."

"No, I hadn't heard," he answered slowly. "Of course, we haven't been talking much lately."

"Well, that's what's happening."

"Best of luck, then."

"Thanks." She glanced out the window. "And best of luck to you, too. Kotoko will be here in a few minutes. _You_ have some groveling to do."

He laughed shortly. "I suppose I do."

* * *

Later at home, Naoki sat silently while Kotoko pulled out the bottle of witch hazel. She had shown concern when told of his injury, instead of laughing at him for spacing out. That uncharacteristic behavior was almost more painful than his incipient bruise.

She pushed some of his hair out of the way. "Here," she ordered, "hold it just like that." His eyes never left her face while she moistened a cotton ball and swabbed the tender area. He did his best not to wince at the slight throbbing that resulted, despite her gentleness.

"There!" She straightened. "I'll do it again in the morning." After she stowed away the ointment, he took hold of her hands and brought them to his mouth. "Wha-a-at?" she asked, startled.

"Forgive me," he said, head bowed, not meeting her eyes.

"For getting whacked by a tennis ball?" She gave a small laugh. "Or maybe for whacking me with a few dozen when you tried to teach me that stupid game last year?"

"Yeah," Naoki chuckled and looked up, "you did run into several, didn't you?" He sobered and after a slight pause, decided to try again. "I, uh, haven't been the most pleasant person to be around lately, much less live with."

"Yep," she agreed. "Are you about to explain why you've been acting this way?"

"Yes—"

"And why it has taken you so long to tell me?"

"Um, something happened that I had never experienced, and it took me awhile to figure out what it was."

"And it never occurred to you to ask for help?" She smacked him on top of his head, luckily far away from the point of the tennis ball's impact.

"It involved you…"

"All the more reason—"

Naoki pulled her close and kissed her silent. When she opened her dazed eyes a minute later, he whispered, "I was jealous."

She blinked. "Of what?"

He sighed. "Of whom." He shook her a little. "I was jealous of Shitara. "

Kotoko snorted. "Shit-kun? Jealous of _him_?"

"Well, you spend all that time together."

"It's for his rehab." She squeezed his biceps.

"You have such a close and easy friendship with him."

"I've known him since I was in elementary school." Her hands stroked his shoulders and moved up.

"He makes lecherous glances toward you," he muttered.

Her palms froze on his cheeks. "Are you sure you didn't suffer a compus—concor—wait a minute, I'll get it—concussion?"

"He does. You just don't see it," Naoki stubbornly asserted.

She patted his face with a smile. "He really doesn't think of me like that. I promise." She placed a finger over his mouth when he opened it to argue. "And even if he did, _you're_ the one I love." She kissed him gently. "What will it take to convince you?"

His arms tightened around her. "I'll think of something."


	14. Chapter 14

Naoki wheeled their bag from the train car. "That Atami prize made for a nice weekend getaway."

"Yes!" Kotoko laughed. "And with no interruptions, since we decided to celebrate your birthday there at the last minute and no one knew where we were."

"Especially one certain person," Naoki murmured to himself.

"Are you still on that?" she chided. "I thought I did a pretty good job the last two days showing you how I feel about you."

He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Don't worry. My problem is with _him_. I won't make the mistake of doubting _you_ again."

"Better not!" She poked his nose with a finger. "Cause I'll whip your ass if you do!"

* * *

On the other side of the station, Kinnosuke paced the departure platform. "I can't believe it! Three trips and I never got to see her! And Satomi and Jinko assured me that Kotoko didn't have any plans this weekend. Oh, well, there's always Christmas. That time she is coming to _my_ town!"

* * *

"Hey, Yamada," Kotoko leaned over the back of the couch, "Spielberg and Lucas didn't make it tonight."

"Yeah," he paused his sentence while he maneuvered his avatar's ship through a field of space mines, "they've been freaking out about some letter they received. I bet they're still at it."

Aikawa pulled his buzzing cell phone out of his pocket. "Well, speak of the devil. Hey, Lucas, what's up? Uh-huh," he nodded several times. "I'll see. Hey, Ai-chan, those two want to know if you can go over and talk to them."

"Huh? Why didn't they call _me_?" she wondered.

"Because your phone is in the back room charging," Naoki reminded her as he took a few shots at the enemy freighter.

"Yeah. Well, I'll head over and see what they want."

"Wait a few minutes." Naoki's voice halted her steps. "Even though it's just next door, I don't want you to go alone. This game will be finished shortly."

"I'll go with her." Matsumoto set down her drink and walked to join Kotoko at the door. "He's right, she told her, "there's safety in numbers."

"And who had to rescue who last time?"

"That's 'whom'!"

* * *

"It's nice to be outside on a Saturday night and not have my eardrums assaulted," Matsumoto observed during the brief walk.

"Now that the gamers outnumber the party guys, it's been a lot more peaceful," Kotoko agreed, stretching arms over her head.

* * *

The neighboring house's living room held Miyashita (who had finally scored a room there), hosting a smaller cadre of club members who were also playing online. Beyond in the kitchen, the substitute landlord and a discontented-looking young lady were finishing a takeout meal.

"This place has been dead on weekends since you brought in those new tenants."

"Couldn't help it, babe," he answered, then called out at the knock, "Come in!"

"Girls?" she asked when Kotoko and Matsumoto entered and were hailed by the game players. "They're either lost or at the beginning of a super-bad blind date."

"Uh, we're here to see Spielberg and Lucas, uh, Sugawara and Araki."

Sugisaki sighed wearily. "Second door on the left at the top of the stairs."

The girlfriend's voice followed them as they began to climb. "I didn't think those nerds were into women!"

* * *

Upstairs, the two girls looked at the room, neat overall with disorder only on the cluttered computer desk. "Okay guys, what's up?" Kotoko asked cheerfully.

Sugawara held out a crumpled letter. "Look! We're in trouble because of the film!"

"Kunoichi Kotorin?" Matsumoto asked skeptically.

"I told you that you ripped off Yona!" Kotoko claimed as she tried to smooth out the paper. "Now, what does that kanji mean…?"

"Let me see that." Matsumoto took it from her and scanned it quickly.

As she did so, Araki gave Kotoko the back story. "See, it's from this big company that wants to discuss our movie."

"We knew it was derivative in spots, but we wrote and animated it all by ourselves!"

"What are we going to do now? Our future is in a shambles!"

"We'll lose our reputations!"

"Plus we'll be sued for for money that we don't have!"

"Hold on." Matsumoto halted their verbal diarrhea with a motion. "This doesn't say anything about legal trouble."

"It doesn't?"

"No, it sounds like they'd like to license it. And get this, Kotoko," she waved the paper towards her friend, "this is Irie-kun's family business."

"Huh? Pandai?"

"Yeah, yeah," Araki interjected. "That's the name. _Irie?!_ "

"Instead of being in trouble, it sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime. They would like to have a meeting, probably to get an idea of what you want."

"We just want to make movies."

Matsumoto looked at Kotoko in pity. "They have no business sense whatsoever, do they?"

Kotoko pointed at her. "But _you're_ majoring in business." Dead silence followed and she belated realized that she probably shouldn't have said that out loud.

"Could you go to the meeting for us? Please?!" The two dropped to their knees in begging position.

"Gee, Kotoko, you _had_ to open your big mouth, didn't you?"

Pondering, she answered, "Well, it's not a bad idea. You could act as their agent. That would give you some real-world experience in business. Not many first years get to do so much."

"Of _course_ I could do it," Matsumoto agreed, frustrated, "but when? Term exams are coming up, and even though I have no problems with my classes, I still want to do my best since I'm transferring."

Kotoko snapped her fingers. "I know! We'll just take you home with us at Christmas! We have to go to the Pandai holiday wing-ding anyway. Obasama insists," she added with a scowl.

"I can't just show up like that!" Matsumoto protested.

"Why not?" Kotoko snapped back. "Hand me your phone!" After a brief conversation, she returned it. "Irie-san says it's okay. We're good to go!"

While Matsumoto heaved a weary sigh, a much relieved Araki asked, "So how much money do you think we'll get?"

"And don't forget to ask about licensing fees!"

"Come to think of it," Matsumoto pressed a finger into Sugiwara's chest, "you used Kotoko's and my likenesses in that movie, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Kotoko chimed in, "and without permission!"

"Uh…"

"There may be more people signing the contract than just you two!" she warned them.


	15. Chapter 15

There had been a dicey moment when they arrived at the Irie house for the Christmas break. Upon seeing Matsumoto, Mrs. Irie gasped and fell backwards onto the floor. She regained her equilibrium as the young lady chatted with her while her son and Kotoko checked her body over for scrapes and sprains, squabbling a bit over the diagnoses and treatments.

When she escorted Kotoko and Matsumoto to Kotoko's new room (the home addition had been constructed while the students were away at college), she sighed greatly. "Yes, I planned for you to share this room when I designed it. However," she narrowed her eyes, "I had anticipated that it would be with Onii-chan and not a female!"

"Hey! As if we'd do anything like that under your roof!" Kotoko said as she tossed her bag onto the double bed. She sniffed when she saw that the spread was still a shade of pink. _And she thought that Naoki would like this decor?_ she wondered to herself.

"Ah!" Mrs Irie clasped her hands together in front of her bosom. "Does that mean that you do it under _other_ roofs?"

She looked at her, confused, her mind already far away, wondering at the miraculous reappearance of previously hidden stuffed animals and calculating how many could be squashed into her suitcase for disposal on the trip back to Kobe. Matsumoto converted a snorting laugh into a cough, which she managed to repress until Mrs. Irie finally left them alone.

"What a narrow escape I've had!" she chortled. "I don't envy you that sort of interfering mother-in-law!"

Kotoko blew her a raspberry. "She means well. She's just a _little_ focused on acquiring grandchildren. Plus, even if she talks about it all the time, Naoki and I haven't discussed marriage."

"Well," Matsumoto replied, subdued, "after observing you the past two semesters, I'll be surprised if it ends up any other way. So!" she opened her case and shook out a business jacket, "let's go shopping for our party dresses after my appointment tomorrow at Pandai."

"Oh, man," Kotoko moaned. "Now I'm going to have _another_ person telling me what to wear!"

"And how to act!" Matsumoto spoke as she hung up her clothes. "You can't chew your nails and sit cross-legged at a formal event!"

* * *

Mrs. Irie had definitely mellowed towards Matsumoto by the time the limousine neared the event hotel. Relieved to learn that the former interloper was now a supporter of the Aihara/Irie match, she was ecstatic when she also proved an ally in persuading Kotoko to select appropriate clothing for the wife of a future doctor. Yes, she mused to herself, her elder son would _not_ be taking over Pandai as expected but had tentative plans to transfer to the renowned medical school at Kobe University.

Although Mr. Irie still held out hope for Yuuki, right now he was enthralled with this young woman's business acumen. She had apparently run circles around his veteran negotiators when discussing the rights to that silly anime that they were developing into a video game. He had been impressed enough that he had proposed a part-time apprenticeship with his company while she finished her degree at Tokyo University. She sighed. _Sometimes things do work out for the best. Now Kotoko-chan just needs to choose a more feminine career than one dealing with a bunch of smelly athletes. If only those two weren't so far away..._ She decided that, in their absence, she might amuse herself by playing matchmaker for Pandai's newest employee.

Her husband patted her knee and smiled. "We're almost there, Mama. Better gather your things."

"Oh, drat!" Kotoko bent over and fumbled around on the floor. "Where did my shoes go?"

"Sit up straight!" Matsumoto pulled her back up.

"Don't worry about it now," Naoki suggested. "We'll find them after Mom and Dad get out."

* * *

 _Finally I've got a plan that's gonna work!_ Kinnosuke rocked back and forth on his heels, blowing on his hands to disperse the chill.

Thanks to Satomi and Jinko, he knew that Kotoko was attending the Irie holiday bash tonight. Although he frowned at the idea of her arriving with That Bastard, he had prepared the ultimate gift for her. Once she tasted his lips in a superb Christmas kiss, thoughts of Irie would fly out of her mind! Speaking of which...he opened his mouth and sprayed more minty goodness inside.

He kept a sharp eye out on the arriving cars. His spidey senses tingled at the appearance of a long limousine and were proven correct when Naoki's parents emerged. Mrs. Irie turned back to say, "Hurry up and come inside, Yuuko-chan, Kotoko-chan!"

* * *

"Notice that my own mother doesn't mention me!" Naoki commented to Matsumoto as he felt around on the floor. "Dammit, Kotoko, why did you take them off?"

"They're heels!" she whined.

Matsumoto laughed. "I'll leave first. That will give you more room to force them back on her."

She turned and stepped out into a most unexpected encounter.

* * *

Kinnosuke found that his progress to the limousine was suddenly halted. A child with snot dripping from one nostril had grabbed hold of his rented jacket. "Santa-san!" the tyke cried out.

"Go away, kid, you're bothering me!" he snarled.

"Santa-san! Give me candy!" the boy demanded.

"I ain't got no candy!" he said desperately as he scooted nearer the curb, dragging the child along like a ball and chain.

"Look, it's Santa!" called another youth, this one a little older with several companions who decided to join in on the fun.

"Scram, you guys!" Kinnosuke flailed his arms about to dislodge the unwanted attention. While doing so he backed into the open door of the limousine and his loose hat slipped halfway down his face. He still had partial vision, and when he saw a sleek leg set a sparkling shoe on the pavement next to him, he knew that he had arrived just in time. _Kotoko!_ He reached out to grab her by the shoulders, but the body part that he came in contact with was—shall we say?—a little softer.

"How dare you!" A sharp slap hit his pursed lips, causing a deeper cut than would otherwise have occurred.

Still half-blinded and also in pain from one of the beard's earhooks ripping free, he backed away but not far enough to evade an attack from a second party. "You can't do that to my friend!" A blow to his solar plexus doubled him over and was quickly followed by an uppercut to the chin. Having fallen rapidly from the heights of anticipation into an unholy nightmare, he chose discretion over valor and hobbled away to the chants of "Santa is a pervert!" from several youthful throats. Adding insult to injury, a sharp object hit him in the back of the head as he retreated.

* * *

"Are you all right, Yuuko-chan?" Kotoko asked as she shook her hand, already beginning to ache from its forceful collision with the (supposed) stranger's pointy chin.

"Just a little startled," she replied, readjusting the neckline of her dress. "I wasn't expecting to get groped on the red carpet!"

Naoki, meanwhile, recovered Kotoko's shoe while talking on his cell phone. "Yes, he's male, dressed in a Santa suit. He's making his way southwest near Hibiya Park after assaulting a young woman." He squinted after the figure. "He will likely be limping for the next few minutes." He hung up and approached the girls, holding out the shoe. "I have a feeling that the rest of the evening is going to be extremely boring compared to our arrival."

* * *

Sure enough, it was plenty tedious for Kotoko. Naoki had to nudge her awake a couple of times, once by taking her on another tour of the buffet table and once by attempting a complicated dance. He limped off the floor, determined never to try _that_ method again.

Meanwhile, Matsumoto danced with every one of the junior Pandai executives, who were ecstatic at the thought of the beauty gracing their office in the near future. Under all that attention, she felt the gap in her heart close a tiny bit. _Yes,_ she thought, _this move is the right one for me!_


	16. Chapter 16

Kinnosuke walked from the bus station in the early morning chill, giving himself a pep talk as he moved.

"This has got to be my lucky time! I pulled a good fortune at New Year's, plus bought lots of amulets." He twisted around to make certain they were still attached to his backpack. A passing cyclist turned to watch his twitching movements in the middle of the street and almost ran into a power pole.

He clenched a fist. "I swear, if I don't see her this time, I'm going to give up and just go back to the house and visit with my family the rest of the day. I can't keep throwing money down the drain, much as I love her."

* * *

"Who in the hell is knocking on the door at this hour on Sunday morning?" Naoki was not amused as he hopped down the hall, pulling on pajama pants, on his way to the door. He clicked open all the locks and snatched it open. "Do you have any idea—? Oh. Ikezawa. Long time no see."

His hand still raised in mid-knock, Kinnosuke stood with mouth agape. "Irie? What are you doing here?" He pulled a much folded piece of paper from his pocket and backed up to the edge of the road. He glanced from the paper to the house number then advanced on Naoki, waving it. "This is the address that Otosan gave me for Kotoko's house. Why are you here? And half-dressed?!"

Leaning wearily against the door jamb, Naoki yawned. "Number one. I don't think Aihara-san wants you to call him Otosan. Number two. I live here. Number three. I can dress or not however I like in my own house."

"Then where's Kotoko?" Kinnosuke yowled.

Naoki placed a finger in one of his ears. "Please keep it down. A couple of the neighbors were blessed with a financial windfall and held a celebratory party last night. It ran rather late, so they probably won't appreciate an early wake-up yell."

"Oh, and the stuffy nerd wasn't invited, huh?" Kinnosuke sneered.

"Oh, I was there," he began.

"Naoki, who's at the door?" Kotoko, bleary-eyed, stared at the two of them. "Oh. Kin-chan. You should have called first."

"You—you!" His eyes goggled at the length of leg showing beneath her ancient tank top.

Kotoko focused on the clock. "It's six in the fricking morning, Kin-chan! Go away and come back in about three hours." She turned and shuffled back down the hall.

"You heard her, Ikezawa." Naoki began to close the door.

"She said I could come back! So I'm coming back!"

"I have a feeling you will," he sighed, shivering, as he refastened the locks.

* * *

Kinnosuke stomped his feet on the sidelines of the soccer field, trying to bring sensation back into what felt like blocks of ice. Kotoko, oblivious to his discomfort, continued to blow the whistle for Shitara's suicides. "Some fantastic reunion!" he groused. "We've been at this an hour already now. Kotoko!" he hollered. "How much longer are we gonna be out here?"

She turned, her breath making clouds in front of her face. "About another half hour, and then he has to cool down slowly."

"Cool down?" Kinnosuke muttered. "It's three damn degrees out here. How much colder does he need to be?"

"There are hand warmers in my bag," she called to him. "Help yourself!"

"Coulda mentioned that before," he griped as his frozen fingers fumbled with the zipper.

* * *

A couple of hours later they were sitting in a café, hands cupped around mugs of coffee. "Sorry I don't know all the touristy places to show off since you came all the way here," Kotoko apologized. "But then, you're from not far away originally, so I guess they wouldn't be special to you."

"It's not like I came here on a vacation, Kotoko," he replied. "I just wanted to see you and make sure you were all right."

"Aw, that's sweet, Kin-chan! Thank you!"

"Y'know, I really gotta tell you something, Kotoko. You're too laid back and trusting. You need to be more careful," he warned.

She blew steam away from her coffee. "About what, Kin-chan?"

"That Shitara dude, for one."

"Not you too!" she moaned.

"He's got his eyes on you. And not in a good way!" he bumbled on.

"Look, Kin-chan." Kotoko took a deep breath and banked her temper. "He's a friend of mine from way back, long before I met you. I'm not going to let you talk about him like that."

"But he—"

"No! That's enough!" she snapped, then continued in a calmer voice. "I'm helping him get in shape so he can have a chance for the future he has wanted for a decade and a half. I don't care what you or Yuuko-chan or Naoki say. He's my friend, and that's the end of it."

Kinnosuke stuck out his bottom lip, discontented. "And that's another thing! Living with Irie!" He shuffled his feet as he leaned forward. "I couldn't believe it. I thought for sure that he would stay in Tokyo."

Kotoko let out a long, exasperated sigh. "And why would you believe that, Kin-chan? It was obvious enough that we liked each other the last term of third year. We even _announced_ our plans. Why would you think we'd lie about that?"

He sniffed. "Because I think I'm the better choice for you."

"Dammit," she muttered. "Now I'm getting mad again. Look, I'll state it in no uncertain terms. I don't feel 'love-love' for you. It's 'friend-love' and that's all it will ever be."

He turned his head and rubbed the eye that wasn't facing her. "So it's really and truly Irie, huh?"

"Really and truly." She nodded emphatically to stress the point.

He slapped both hands on the table. "Well, that's that, then. But," he wagged an index finger at her, "I still stand behind my belief of Shit-boy's intentions."

"Oh, Kin-chan," she sighed.


	17. Chapter 17

"I think I've done all I can for you," Kotoko told her grade school friend after he finished showering. "You're back to your pre-accident speed, flexibility and endurance. Now it's up to you to show Vissel Kobe what you're made of."

"Well, darlin', that's where you're wrong," Shitara retorted with a smile.

"Huh?" she responded with her usual eloquence.

"That's not all you can do for me," he declared.

"What?" Kotoko flipped through the notebook of recuperation plans. "I've done everything that Maki-san prescribed…"

"You won't find it in there, Ai-kun."

She looked up at him blankly. "What are you talking about, then?"

His hand played with the short length of her hair. "Were you thinking of me when you had this cut?" he asked.

"My hair? What do you mean?"

"Oh," he advanced on her and whispered, "you know, all of those fun times we had way back when."

She gave him a shove but he didn't budge. "Stop kidding around. I enjoy having short hair again, but it has nothing to do with _you_!"

Shitara heaved an over-dramatic sigh. "You're going to make me do all the work, aren't you? Do you even _know_ what day it is?"

"The fourteenth, right?" Kotoko was flummoxed. "Look, this conversation is all over the place, Shit-kun. I don't know what you're up to—"

"More precisely, it's the fourteenth of February. _Val-en-tine's Day_." He dragged out the words. "I know it's the tradition for girls to take the initiative, but I can't wait any longer to tell you how I feel."

She blinked. "How you... _feel?_ "

He pulled one of her hands and held it to his chest. "Feel my heart beating? That's just for you, Ai-kun!" He shifted his body closer. "Forget your puny high school lover and hitch your wagon to _my_ star."

She laughed uncertainly. "Are you trying out a practice pick-up line on me? Because that's kind of a corny phrase, and I'm not sure what it means—"

"Then I'll show you," he said, a second before he dipped his head and covered her lips with his. It didn't take a genius to gauge her response. "Ow!" He jumped back, hand covering his mouth. "You bit my tongue!"

Kotoko glared at him. "Well, it was somewhere that it shouldn't have been! What in the world got into you to do that? You're acting crazy today!"

"You're kidding, right?" He stared at her. "I'm saying that I like you— _you,_ Ai-kun!— and I want you to be my girlfriend!"

She snorted. "Sorry. I'm not interested in being one of a crowd." She took advantage of the fact that she had been freed and began to pack the well-worn notebook in her shoulder bag with jerky movements.

"It won't be like that. It'll just be you," he crooned, coming behind her and embracing her. "You'll be my _very personal_ trainer, on the field and off."

"One," she said softly.

"Look, when I pass the tryout—and you said I'm ready—I'll get a nice fat signing bonus."

"Two."

"You can even leave that stone-faced egghead today and we'll hole up in the Crowne Plaza until my contract comes through."

"Three."

Kotoko's foot stomped—hard!—on Shitara's instep. After he bent forward automatically from the pain, his head snapped quickly in reverse, thanks to the impact of the back of _her_ head to his chin. Not only did this cause his tongue to be bitten for the second time in two minutes, but the stars he saw from this injury blinded him to her fist, which cut open his cheekbone.

He glared at her as he cupped his bleeding face. "What did you do _that_ for?" he yelled.

"That's _my_ line!" she shouted back. "This pisses me off so much! Yuuko-chan warned me, Naoki warned me—hell, even _Kin-chan_ warned me after only a couple hours acquaintance!" She hit him in the abdomen with her bag. "I defended you, you son-of-a-bitch!" Her hand flung angry tears off her face. She cursed again when their saltiness stung the scrapes on her knuckles.

His breathing slowed as he watched the emotions of anger, frustration and disappointment flit across her face. Taking a deep breath, he said quietly, "Okay. It's hard for me to believe, but you really _don't_ want me."

"Not in that way," she sniffled. "You're one of my oldest friends."

"And that's all I'll ever be." It wasn't a question, but she nodded anyway. " _Effing_ unbelievable," he snorted, then stared behind her shoulder for about ten seconds before meeting her eyes. "Okay, then, how are you planning to make up to me for messing up my face?"

* * *

"She did a number on you, didn't she?" Naoki tilted Shitara's head so the light from the lamp shone directly on his cheekbone.

He glared up at him. "I don't particularly want to hear that from _you_!"

"Tough." He wiped the cut with alcohol, smiling slightly as the other swore at the sting. "If you ask me, she let you off easy. This isn't the first time that I've mopped up after she went berzerk."

"You're not telling me anything I don't already know. Ow!" He moved his jaw from side to side. "I was one of those who taught her how to fight."

"Stop talking about me as if I'm not in the room," Kotoko complained as she struggled to treat her own hand's wounds. "Do you think he'll need stitches?"

"No," Naoki replied, thumbing through the packages in her kit. "A couple of butterflies should close it up enough. It's not as if he won't acquire a few scars along the way by playing pro soccer."

Shitara let out a short laugh. "You're not so bad. Except for, you know, stealing my girl."

"Well, in _that_ you're both correct and incorrect," Naoki said as he placed the bandages carefully on his face.

"Huh?" The others looked at him curiously.

He stood upright in satisfaction. " _I'm_ not so bad, but she was never _your_ girl."

"Bastard," Shitara muttered as he stood to leave.


	18. Chapter 18

Looking out her bedroom window, Kotoko saw an older woman sweeping the back patio at the next house over. She closed her suitcase and commented as she went down the stairs, "I think Sugisaki-san's grandmother is here for a visit."

"More like an inspection," Naoki corrected. "He said she was really pleased with the condition of the rooms after a year of college men living in them."

Kotoko snorted. "She should thank her lucky stars that the gamers moved in after his original tenants. They claimed they had to haul out garbage and scrub the rooms down before they were livable."

"Is that so? Just let me empty the trash out back, and then we can leave for the station."

"Okay!" she called as she carried her bag to the front of the house. Immediately after she set it near the entrance, the bell rang. She opened the door to find Shitara outside, a jaunty grin on his face.

"Hey, there, Ai-kun!" he greeted her.

"Hi, Shit-kun," she replied. Over the past few weeks they had managed to return to their friendly camaraderie of old.

He looked beside her feet. "Oh, about to leave town for the end-of-year break?" She nodded. He ran his hand over recently trimmed hair. "I'll only take a few minutes. I just wanted to let you know that I'm all set with the team."

Kotoko squealed and gave him a quick hug. "I _knew_ you could do it!"

"Well, I'm not a starter yet, but it won't be long!" he bragged.

"I'm sure of that! After all, your aim has improved since you gave me this!" She pointed to the small scar on her chin.

"Well, now we're even," he said, pinching her nose.

"Best of luck to you! I'll come see you play when you're famous," she joked.

He leaned nearer. "No second thoughts? I'm going to be a celebrity flying high, you know."

She laughed. "Naoki is celebrity enough for me."

"Your problem," he pointed to her, "is that you don't dream big enough." His mouth twisted and he let out a huff of breath. "It's going to be lonely at the top without you."

She shook her head at him. "Don't worry. You'll have plenty of company once the media starts showing your cute face."

"Cute?" He looked beyond her and called, "Hear that, Irie? She thinks I'm _cute_! You'd better not relax and take her for granted!"

Kotoko shoved him off the porch. "Go on, now! Stop teasing him and get on with your life!"

He gave her an unreadable expression. "Just be happy, Ai-kun. And if he ever screws up…"

"Don't worry," Naoki appeared behind her, "I don't plan to. And if I _do_ happen to mess up, she'll set me straight."

"Yeah! That she will!" He gave a backwards wave as he walked away.

"You ready?" Naoki smiled down at her.

"Sure!" As he proceeded to lock the door, she turned at the sudden sound of yelling next door.

Apparently Sugisaki Eiji was the misbegotten son of a thrice-cursed demon and was fated to meet a gruesome end for egregious disrespect.

"I thought his grandmother was happy," Kotoko said, confused.

The conversation became a little more public after Sugisaki backed out the front door as if shoved. "How was I to know that once held great-great-great-grandpa's ashes? It was just sitting there with nothing in it, so we filled it up and made it useful. We even named it the 'Love Cabinet'."

His grandmother appeared in the doorway holding close an ornately carved wooden box. "You cross-eyed cur! Is that what you call it? Desecration most foul is what I say!" She opened the top and hurled the contents at him. Several dozen small packets rained down. One was caught by a spring breeze and fluttered to land at Kotoko's feet. She bent and picked it up.

"Naoki? This looks like—"

He snatched it from her hand and held it to the sky. "Damn!" He tossed it back to the ground and grabbed her hand. "Let's go!"

"But shouldn't we tell them before we—"

"No. We should _not_."

"It might not be our fault. Not all of those were from Obasama's box," she argued.

"Enough of them were!" He hustled her down the street.

They were still within earshot when Sugisaki paused his grandmother's tirade. "Wait a sec, Gran. My girlfriend's calling. Hey, what's up, babe? Huh? You're _what?!"_

* * *

 **A/N: So one of the subplots of the story turned out to be the (im)proper acquisition and (mis)use of contraceptives. I did try to hint that all of the affected relationships were serious ones, but yes, Mrs. Irie has a lot to answer for.**

 **A/N2: Ah, yes, about the rapid uploads. When I began this story, I knew where it would start, where it would end, and pretty much how it would get from one to the other. To my frustration, it refused to take shape for the longest time, but Stubborn Me continued to write until everything fell into place. However, because I had made numerous changes in timelines and story threads, I felt like I had to finish the entire thing first to avoid continuity errors. I hope you enjoyed it!**


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